


As Long As the Sun Burns

by ElliahRose



Series: Tony's Universe [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Anti-Steve at first, Gen, Mama Bear Tony Stark, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Oblivious Peter Parker, Oscorp - Freeform, Otto Octavius is a snake, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Peter Parker speaks Italian, Peter has biological webs, Peter is a Little Shit, Peter is literally so dumb, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony is a good dad, We love him anyway, he gets the redemption he deserves, we stan a good dad Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-01-30 22:28:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21435718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliahRose/pseuds/ElliahRose
Summary: Peter didn’t know a lot about why his parents split up. It happened when he was a baby, and his dad didn’t like to talk about it. But that was fine. He didn’t mind. He had his dad and he had Uncle Rhodey and that was enough.But when the Rogue Avengers (and his Poppa) are forced to return to the tower, Peter is forced to confront their past and deal with the awkward tensions between the two.And when Peter gets sick from an allergic reaction (it is an allergic reaction, right?) it may just force this dysfunctional group of people to become a family again.IronDad and SpiderSon +Stony divorce Au
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers (referenced), James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Steve Rogers (past)
Series: Tony's Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1545358
Comments: 46
Kudos: 353





	1. Prologue

The day Tony lost him, was also, coincidentally, the day everything started going right. Sure, losing your husband to a long lost friend (who Tony knew he was being cheated on with) sucked. And having your husband also walk out on their nine-month old baby also sucked. But the journey of fixing everything, correcting everything, that. That didn’t suck. 

So when Tony was forced to work with his now ex-husband still, every time the world was in “danger”, he could go home to his baby and play patty-cake or whatever game made him laugh the most and fall asleep, at peace with having his family. 

And when his ex-husband left to fix everything that was wrong with his mentally unstable friend, Tony got through it like a champ, kissing Peter’s little toes and singing italian lullabies to make him fall asleep, and dumping all of his alcohol down the drain because he would be damned if he let himself become just like Howard. 

And throughout everything, all the tears, all the heartbreak, all the pain, his true family (the ones that would never leave him) stuck through it with him.

And he got better. 

And he was finally happy again. 

So of course it all went to shit.

That’s just how the world works for Tony.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is forced to meet with the rogue Avengers and discuss the accords. (it goes about as well as you'd think)....Peter is a literal ray of sunshine

“This is bullshit.” Tony seethed, slamming the papers onto the table and looking at with it barely concealed disdain. His hair was tousled from running his hands through it periodically. Rhodey sighed, looking at Tony sadly, and sunk down into the comfortable plush chairs that sat around his living room. 

“I know, Tones,” Rhodey said softly. “I know.” He had sat through everything, he had helped his best friend--his brother, get through so much and it was so unfair that after everything he had gone through, after everything was finally, finally going right, everything had to unravel. 

Tony bit his lip, trying very hard not to break. (The skin of his lips or his mental state was yet to be determined)This was a nightmare. Why was this happening now? Now of all times? It’d been nearly fourteen years. Tony had worked so damn hard and now this? 

And how was he supposed to tell this to Peter? His son barely knew anything about his other father. Just that he existed and left the picture a long time ago. And it’s not like Tony was intentionally keeping Peter ignorant, he wasn’t that much of an asshole (except he was. He really was) he just never knew how to tell him. And Peter never pushed, never demanded an answer. 

But now. 

Now everything was going to come to light. 

“What am I supposed to do?” Tony asked, looking up at his best friend with wet eyes. “What do I do now?”

Rhodey shook his head, looking down at his clenched fists. “I don’t know. But whatever you decide, I’m with you all the way.”

Tony nodded, looking out his window, admiring the view of the beautiful city. 

“Dad?” Tony snapped his gaze to see his barely fourteen-year-old son standing in the doorway sheepishly. He looked between Rhodey and Tony, clearly sensing the obvious tension in the room. 

“Hey Bambi,” Tony said, a small part of his anxiety easing at the sight of his son. Tony knew he was nothing like Howard. No, he was the exact opposite. Rhodey says he’s overprotective (and, no, that’s not it. He just knows that he has a lot of enemies. Ones that aren’t above harming children) Pepper says he’s possessive (and no, that's not it either. He just likes knowing where his son is because when he doesn’t his chest constricts and his brain forgets to tell his lungs to breathe) Tony calls it being a good dad. 

Peter shuffles into the room awkwardly, his fuzzy Iron Man socks padding against the hardwood. He climbs into the chair next to Tony and hugs his knees close to his chest. “What’s going on?” he asks. 

Tony hummed. “It’s really complicated, bud.” 

“Well it’s a good thing I inherited your brains,” Peter says coyishly. Tony huffs. “What is it?”

“Peter, I don’t want you to worry about it right now,” Tony says, ruffling his son’s chestnut curls. Peter slapped his arm away and gave him a pouty glare. “I promise I’ll tell you all about it later.”

“Fine,” Peter relented. “What’s for dinner?” 

“Take out?” Tony offered. Peter nodded in excitement and then raced off, spouting about some science project he needed to do. Tony watched fondly as his son buzzed about the room, only taking breaths in the pauses between his long rants. Rhodey giggled at the appropriate moments but all Tony could do was think about the order.

The demand to create a law. 

The Sokovia Accords.

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
x

_Tony cooed at his son’s baby arms. They were so small and he waved them around like he was trying to fly. It was truly the most adorable sight Tony had ever been greeted with. Steve smiled and squeezed Tony’s hand, tears swelling up in his eyes. _

_“He’s beautiful,” Tony whispered, pressing his hand against the glass. _

_“He is.” Steve agreed. “We did it. We’re parents.”___

_ _._ _

_ _._ _

_ _._ _

_ _._ _

_ _._ _

_ _XX  
x_ _

_ _Tony walked with purpose, ignoring his emotions and allowing himself to put up his Tony Stark, “Genius, Playboy, Billionaire, Philanthropist” persona to dictate his appearance. He refused to let himself become vulnerable over this. Sure, he was facing his former family (before everything went to shit) but that didn’t mean he had to let them get to him. _ _

_ _He had gotten over what they had done to him. He was better now. And so what if his therapist decided his “unbearable trust-issues and copious amounts of paranoia” would continue to haunt him for life? He could take care of himself._ _

_ _Stark men were made of iron. _ _

_ _He stood before a grand white door, and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was behind it, and shoved it open. _ _

_ _He was greeted with the sight of his former team. _ _

_ _The Avengers Initiative had been taken down after the nightmare that was Ultron three years ago. Everything had been destroyed, and Tony spent quite a lot on reconstructing and paying for the damage that had been caused while saving the world. Again. _ _

_ _The government decided that they needed to just stop the Avengers completely, to avoid another event from happening again. The team had packed up and left, but not before letting Tony know who they deemed responsible for the mess in the first place. _ _

_ _Now, that alone wasn’t enough to hurt Tony. Too much. No, it was when they decided to lie to Tony, keep the knowledge that the Winter Soldier, the man that Steve had left Tony for, had murdered his parents. They all knew. And they never thought to tell him. They’d even admitted to the fact that if not for the video, they never would’ve told. _ _

_ _Isn’t that one way to betray you?_ _

_ _Now the government had decided that not having an Avengers Initiative was more dangerous than having one. So, with some new restrictions, the team would be once again assembled. _ _

_ _“You’re late,” Natasha said, her tone icy, yet not icier than usual. Tony felt himself tense before forcing himself to act the way he does in front of the paparazzi. Fake, calculated and scripted._ _

_ _“Yeah, well I do own a multibillion dollar company,” he said, his tone even and controlled. “Now, let’s get this shit over with? Yeah?” _ _

_ _“Well first part of the business,” Fury said, allowing a single glare at Tony before starting his new list of rules. Tony sat down at the end of the table, and tried not to notice Steve staring holes in the side of his head. “The new rules.”_ _

_ _“I don’t agree with them,” Natasha said. “It’s stupid.”_ _

_ _“You must be held accountable for any mistakes that take civilian lives,” Fury said. “That’s non-negotiable.” _ _

_ _“What do you mean by, ‘held accountable’?” Steve asked. Tony clenched his hands. _ _

_ _“I mean, you must take responsibility for any deaths or damages you may cause, and accept whatever dockage the government gives you.” Fury said. Steve nodded, but he looked grumpy at the idea. _ _

_ _“Okay, that’s fine,” Tony said. All heads snapped towards him. “What? I think that’s fair, given the amount of destruction we’ve caused.” _ _

_ _“Thank you,” Fury bit out. “Next. We need to discuss where you’re staying.” Tony snapped his head up at that. Before, the Avengers had stayed at Avengers Tower, but after Ultron, Tony renamed it back to Stark. He would’ve sold it entirely but Peter’s school was only a couple blocks away from the tower and it was an easier commute. _ _

_ _“What do you mean? I thought we’d be staying at Avengers Tower?” Clint asked. _ _

_ _“There is no Avengers Tower,” Fury stated. The group turned to look at Tony, ranging looks of disbelief written on their faces. “Stark has not offered to let you all stay at Stark Tower, and unless he decides to become benevolent, we must find somewhere else to house you.” _ _

_ _“I’ve got a compound,” Tony said. “I was fixing it up to move there after Ultron, but it made more sense to stay in the tower. Peter’s school is really close to the tower and he didn’t want to move. It’s upstate, so I’ll be close enough to get to you if you need me. It just needs to be remodeled.” Steve looked interested when Tony mentioned Peter then his face fell when he heard the rest of it. _ _

_ _“Wait, you won’t be living with us?” Steve asked, looking upset. Tony turned to face him, his cold eyes peering through the tint of his sunglasses. _ _

_ _“No. I will not be staying with you all. I will be staying in the tower with my family. It’ll be easier for everyone this way.” Tony said. Steve flinched lightly at the harsh tone. _ _

_ _“No,” Fury said. “You all need to work out the tension between the team. You have until the accords are fully written up and approved to fix the dynamic.” _ _

_ _“What?” Tony cried. “Why?”_ _

_ _“Because the way I see it, you are not a team anymore.” Fury said. Tony glared. “The team will stay with you in Stark Tower until the renovation is complete. Is that understood?”_ _

_ _“My kid doesn’t know about any of this,” Tony bit out. “I don’t want him involved with this bull shit. If they have to live there, they don’t get to go near my son.” _ _

_ _Fury sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine.” he relented. “No one goes near Stark’s son, or I cannot defend you from his wrath.” _ _

_ _Tony nodded and leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. _ _

_ _The Avengers were moving back in. _ _

_ _Honestly, fuck you karma._ _


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rogues move in and Tony is at his wits end. Meanwhile Flash is being a dick and Peter didn't know that the Rogues were home when he got beat up...oops?

“They’re what?” Rhodey cried, looking at Tony with shock. 

“I know, I know,” Tony groaned. “I don’t want this anymore than you do. Captain Eye Patch didn’t give me much a choice. But he did agree to make them stay away from Peter.” 

Rhodey nodded. “That’s good.” 

“What’s good?” Peter asked. Tony jumped before whirling around. 

“Peter! God, you scared me kiddo. We gotta get you a bell or something.” Tony said, clutching his arc reactor and breathing heavily. “I’ve got a heart condition, and jump scares are definitely not helping it.”

“Neither is drinking six cups of coffee a day.” Peter countered, climbing onto the sofa and laying down, letting his feet dangle over the side. Tony chuckled and sat down on the sofa, lifting Peter’s head to rest on his lap. 

“Touche.” he said. 

“Dad are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Peter asked. Something was definitely up with his father lately, Peter could tell. He was acting more stressed out than usual. It was making him anxious.

“Not yet bambi,” Tony said, carding his hands through his hair. Peter hummed and relaxed against his father. “I promise, your Uncle Rhodey and I are dealing with it.”

“Okay,” Peter said. “Just don’t forget to take care of yourself. I kind of need you around. Don’t bail on me.” 

“Never baby.” 

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
X

“Welcome to the tower,” Tony said blandly, gesturing to the Avengers suite broadly with his hands. The Avengers thanked him in monotone. “Now, a few rules. As you know, you are not, under any circumstances, to go near Peter. Unless he approaches you first: stay away. The other rule, the penthouse is off limits. Unless the world is literally on fire, don’t go in there. Just have FRIDAY contact me if you need me. Good?”

They nodded mutely. Steve stepped forward and Tony braced himself. “Er, Tony? Can I...I want to see him...Peter, I mean...he is my--”

“He’s not your anything.” Tony hissed. Steve flinched back, his eyes wide at the venom in his voice. “You left him. You never even visited him. Not even a letter. You have no right to see him.”

“Tony, please,” Steve begged. “I never meant to...look, I just want to see him. Please? Let him decide if I can see him or not. It’s only fair. To him.” 

“He doesn’t know anything about you,” Tony responded. Steve gasped softly, and his eyes shone with hurt. “All he knows is that you used to be his Papa. That’s it.”

“Did he never...did he never ask?”

“Nothing.” Tony said. “If he wants to speak with you he will. Leave it at that.” 

Steve nodded, staring at the ground with resignation. “Okay.”

“Now, if that’s all. I’m going back upstairs. It’s family dinner night.” 

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
X

Peter walked back to the tower, kicking the pebbles along the sidewalk as he did. Something was up with his dad. Peter could tell Dad was more stressed out than usual, but he didn’t know what was causing it. Everytime he brought it up, Dad shut it down. 

He winced as a car jerked by him, causing him to flinch away and aggravate the injuries he got from Flash. 

He knew it looked really bad, so he planned to stop by the Avengers Suite to grab some bruise cream and things that help make them disappear faster left by his Uncle Bruce. And it was an added bonus that his dad never went down there anymore. He could hide out in peace. 

“Welcome back Peter,” FRIDAY said, in her usual warm and bubbly voice. “You appear to be injured. Shall I call Mr. Stark?”

“No, no!” Peter said quickly, already getting onto the elevator to take him to the suite. “It’s okay FRI, I’ve got it covered.” 

“Okay Peter. If you say so.” 

The bell dinged as he got off onto the Avengers Suite, rushing into the kitchen where he left the bruise cream. When he finally found it he hummed in victory. He then turned around and froze, not expecting to see the Avengers sitting around the table playing a game of cards. 

“Holy sh--snuff bubbles,” Peter cried. “FRIDAY! Why are the Avengers in the kitchen?”

“They have been required to stay here until the compound upstate has been finished.” FRIDAY said helpfully. 

“Is that why Dad’s been so stressed out lately?”

“It would appear so.” 

“Why didn’t he tell me?” Peter asked, looking at the Avengers with slight caution. The others stared at him with ranging looks of awe. 

“Boss didn’t want to stress you out. Your decathlon championship is in a few days.” FRIDAY said. 

“Er, right. Okay,” Peter said awkwardly. He turned to face the shell-shocked avengers. “Hi. I’m Peter, but you probably already know that. I’m Mr. Stark’s son. Um, welcome to the tower?”

“Peter, your etiquette has slightly improved,” FRIDAY commented. 

“Really? You think so? I’ve been working hard on it.” Peter noticed the avengers confused looks. “Dad won’t take me with him when he goes to business parties. FRIDAY says that if I improve my etiquette, maybe he’ll let me come.” 

“Oh,” Natasha said. She just couldn’t stop staring at the boy, Peter. He was truly beautiful.

.

.

.

_“What? Why not?” Natasha demanded. “I want to meet him!”_

_“Nat, it’s nothing personal. It’s just, we can’t take the risk. If nobody knows what he looks like, then they won’t be able to take him,” Tony said. _

_Natasha nodded. The rest of the team looked just as disappointed as she felt. “I understand.” _

_“When you meet him, he’ll be older. When it’s safer.” _

.

.

.

Steve stared at his grown up son, his eyes slightly watered. He was beautiful. His son was beautiful. He hadn’t seen him since he was just a baby. He felt his eyes water at the sight of him. God, how had he missed so much? Seeing him, there was nothing Steve wanted more than to go to him. 

The he saw the bruises on his face and he was livid. They say that when a parent sees their child hurt they feel that hurt ten times more than the child. And vice versa for any other emotion. But right now, seeing his son’s face marred with injuries, Steve had never felt such rage. 

“Peter, what happened to your face?” he asked. Peter turned to look at him and his hazel eyes widened in recognition. 

“Uh, nothing, it was just...I ran into a pole?” he said, still staring at Steve with a strange expression on his face. 

“A pole?” Natasha asked. “It really doesn’t look like a pole could’ve done that. Are you being bullied?” Peter hunched in on himself and Steve felt his anger rise. Well, if he didn’t hate bullies before…

“Please don’t tell my dad,” he asked. Steve looked at him with concern. Why wouldn’t he want Tony to know? “He’s already so stressed out! I don’t want to worry him. And, he’ll probably do something crazy, like ruin the kid’s future.”

“Tony would kill us if we didn’t tell him.” Clint said. Peter nodded and looked down. 

“Yeah, after all--”

“PETER!” Tony shout came from down the hall. 

“Shoot,” Peter cursed under his breath. This was not going to end well. Tony raced into the room and when he saw the bruises on Peter’s face he panicked. 

He ran to his son’s side and pushed him behind him, looking at the Avengers with rage. “What did you do to him?” he demanded. “Bambi, did they hurt you?”

“No, padre, I’m okay. This wasn’t them.” Peter assured, patting his dad’s arm lightly. Tony sent one last glare at the surprised avengers before turning around to look at his son. He checked over all the bruises on his face and tutted at the split lip. 

“Bambino, what happened?” Tony asked, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “What happened?”

“It was just some kids at school, Dad,” Peter said, leaning into his father’s touch. “I promise it’s okay.”

“Who? I’m going to talk to your principal. This is unacceptable.” Tony said harshly. 

“No, no, it’s okay! I promise! I’m handling it Dad.” Peter said quickly. The last thing he needed right now was his dad going down to the school and blowing his cover. 

“It does not look okay,” Tony insisited. “How long has this been going on?”

Peter stayed silent for a long time before replying, “Just today.”

“Yeah, nope, nice try. FRIDAY?” Tony asked. 

“This is the sixth time he has come home with minor injuries this week.” FRIDAY said. 

“This week?!” Tony cried. “Peter…”

“I know, I know,” Peter huffed. “I would’ve told you I just…” 

Tony sighs and rakes a hand through his hair. “Okay, why don’t we take this upstairs, yeah?” he asks, shooting another distrustful look back at the rogues. He didn’t want them anywhere near them. “I’m making ravioli.”

Peter’s eyes lit up. “Homemade?” Tony nodded and Peter squealed before grabbing the bruise cream that was on the counter and racing up the stairs, leaving Tony alone with the roues. He took a deep breath before turning around to face them. 

“This doesn’t change anything,” he says. He can visibly see where the rogues hope drains out of their bodies. Steve steps forward and Tony braces himself for a fight. 

“Tony--”

“No, Rogers. My final answer is no. I don’t want my son involved in this mess. He’s more important to me than life. You all stay the fuck away from him unless he approaches you. End of story,” Tony hisses. He hates that he’s even allowing that much, but he’s not going to deny his son this (no matter how badly he really, really wants to) and if Peter wants to meet them, Tony will allow it (grit teeth and clenched jaw) but if he doesn’t and they dare talk to him. He’ll rain hell all over them. 

“Okay,” Steve says softly, and Tony can see how much it pains him to agree with him. (He hates that a small part of himself feels guilty for denying Steve the right to see Peter. But then, he isn’t his parent. Tony is) 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s Family Dinner Night, and I have a bully to destroy.” 

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
x

_Tony took a deep breath, his eyes glancing over at the clock. He was late. He was really late. It didn’t mean anything, though. Tony believed in his husband. He shouldn’t be paranoid. Just because he was--another glance at the clock--two hours late didn’t mean he forgot about date night._

_It didn’t._

_Tony downed a glass of whiskey and thrummed his fingers against the hardwood._

_Steve wouldn’t of forgotten, would he?_

_Tony poured himself another glass._

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
x

“How long has this been going on, kiddo?” Uncle Rhodey asked, gently spreading the bruise cream over Peter’s bruises. Peter hummed softly and let his eyes fall to the ground. “That long, huh?”

“It’s not..I haven’t been-...I know it looks bad, Uncle Rhodey but--” Peter tried to explain but he stuttered over his answers. He’s always been terrible at lying.

“Pete, it doesn’t look bad,” Uncle Rhodey said, his eyebrows furrowing. “Well, it does look bad. And painful--” he pressed down on a bruise and Peter hissed in pain and flinched away. Uncle Rhodey looked apologetic. “--but Petey, if you’re being beat up every day. It doesn't just look bad. It is bad.” 

“I’m sorry.” Peter mumbled. Uncle Rhodey sighed. 

“Oh Peter,” he whispered. “You don’t have to be sorry. Well, except for not telling us when it started.” 

Peter opened his mouth to defend himself when the elevator dinged, signaling his father's return. Peter wined and prepared himself for the lecture. 

“Is he okay?” he asked Uncle Rhodey. Uncle Rhodey nodded and put the lid back on the bruise cream. He sent one last apologetic glance at Peter before walking away, into the kitchen where he no doubt was preparing the food. His dad moved to face him and Peter bit his lip, looking at the floor once more. 

“Dad I--”

“Save it kid,” Tony said. Peter snapped his mouth shut. “Petey, look. I’m sorry that you felt like you couldn’t come to me. I don’t know what I did that made you feel like you couldn’t trust me with something as important as this but--”

“No, Dad, that’s not it!” Peter cried, throwing himself into his father’s arms. “It’s not your fault. It was all mine. I was just afraid.”

“You’re afraid of him?” Tony bit out. “Of course you are! He’s beating you up! Did he threaten you?”

“No, that’s not it,” Peter cried. “I was afraid of what you’d do to him.” 

“What? What do you mean?” Tony asked, looking at his son with raised eyebrows. 

“Come on dad,” Peter huffed. “You’d totally ruin the kid. Don’t even try to deny it.” Tony wished he could (no he didn’t. Not even in the slightest.) but he knew that it was true. He already had FRIDAY run the chances of who could be bullying Peter and then find out any dirt on them or their family. (It wasn’t overkill. It wasn’t.)

“Yeah, I would,” Tony chuckled. “But only because I love you.”

Peter smiled against his shoulder. “I love you too, Dad.”


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Starks (read: Tony) are struggling to adjust to the new housemates meanwhile Peter is having thoughts about the divorce

The rogues were awoken bright and early at 6 AM to the sound of heavy footsteps upstairs and shouting. Steve sleepily shuffled into the kitchen where Natasha and Clint sat around the breakfast table. Sam stood at the stove frying eggs. 

“Good morning,” Steve yawned. Natasha nodded in his direction and he slumped into a chair. 

“PETER BENJAMIN STARK YOU WILL EAT YOUR BREAKFAST OR I’LL SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!” a slightly muffled scream was heard. The group looked up, shocked at the noise that was coming through the floor. The penthouse was right above them. 

“I’M GOING TO BE LATE!” was Peter’s response. There was louder footsteps as they ran around upstairs. Steve ignored it, nursing a strange pang in his stomach with a cup of coffee when a pair of footsteps running down the stairs that connected the Avenger’s living floor to the penthouse shocked him out of his sleep-induced stupor. 

The rogues turned around in surprise, not expecting anyone on the penthouse to come down. (Tony wouldn’t be caught dead down here unless he thought Peter was down here. And Rhodes would stick with his best friend and Peter wouldn’t come down here as not to worry his father of uncle) A very frantic Peter raced downstairs, ignoring the shocked rogues. 

He ran into the kitchen and rummaged around in the cabinets, muttering a frantic ‘excuse me’ to Sam as he threw open a cabinet above Sam’s head. “Where is it?!” he cried. 

“Woah there, kiddo,” Steve said, swallowing his excitement at being able to see and talk to his son. “What are you looking for?”

Peter glanced at him and then averted his gaze. “My energy bars, I thought I left them down here. I usually have them for breakfast because Dad can’t cook--unless it’s from a recipe from _Nonna_, but he tries, but I can’t remember where I put them and Dad doesn’t want me to eat them for breakfast anymore because he thinks it isn’t healthy but--”

“PETER YOU BETTER NOT BE DOWN THERE LOOKING FOR THOSE DAMNED ENERGY BARS!” came Tony’s voice from upstairs. Peter made a squeak as he ducked behind the island just as Tony stormed into the room. 

He was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and an AC/DC T-shirt that he had bought at a concert that he had taken Peter to. His hair was tousled from constantly tugging at it and it took the rogues by surprise to see Tony in something so casual. They never expected to see that ever again. Not since the split. 

Tony looked around but didn’t see his mischievous son anywhere. He ignored the states from his ex-family and looked up at the ceiling impatiently. “Well, I guess since Peter’s not here I’ll just tell Uncle Rhodey that Family Movie Night has been cancelled. Goodbye Obi Wan-Kenobi.” 

Peter jumped up from behind the island with ferocity. “That’s not fair!” he cried. “Your cooking sucks!”

Tony sucked in a mock offended gasp. “You dare?” he cried, covering his arc reactor with his hand. “I am your father. The disrespect. From my own mini-me!” 

“Sorry dad, but it’s true.” Peter said, crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out. He then looked towards the rogues. “Tell him.”

“Sorry _bambi_, I’ve never cooked for them before,” Tony says with a triumphant grin. “I only cook for the people I love.” 

Steve swallowed dryly and averted his gaze down to the coffee in front of him. 

“Oh,” Peter said softly. He leaned against the island and the kitchen fell into an awkward silence. 

“Boss,” FRIDAY said, interrupting the silence and Tony let out an almost unnoticeable sigh in relief, almost. Natasha narrowed her eyes at the sound. “I have been instructed by Colonel Rhodes to inform Peter of the time.” 

“What?” Peter cried, checking his watch and gasping loudly. “Shit! I’m going to be late!”

“Language.” Tony said with a smirk. Peter huffed but otherwise didn’t acknowledge what his father said. He started to run out of the room but Tony caught him last second, tugging him back lightly by his shirt hem. “Ah, ah, ah. Forgetting something?” 

Peter sighed loudly but smiled. “Right, sorry. _Ti amo, Padre_.” he said, hugging his father tightly and kissing his cheek. Tony smiled and pressed a kiss to his son’s forehead. 

“_E io, tu, finche il sole brucia, bambino_,” Tony responded. Peter smiled again before pulling out of his father's embrace. 

“Okay, I really have to go Dad,” Peter said. “I’ll see you after practice!” and with that, Peter was gone. Leaving Tony alone with the rogues. It was silent for a few minutes before Clint broke it. 

“He knows italian?” he asked. Tony nodded. 

“He’s fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and Russian. He’s learning french right now.” Tony said, walking over to the counter and pouring himself a cup of coffee. He then looked at the stove. “Uh, Wilson? You’re eggs are burning.” 

“What? Damn it!” Sam cursed, walking back to his now extra crispy eggs and flipping them over. 

Steve looked at Tony cautiously. “Four languages? He’s a smart kid.” Tony narrowed his eyes. 

“Well he is my son.” he snapped. Steve winced but glared at Tony. 

“Last I checked, he was _our son_.” Steve responded. Tony let out a bitter chuckle. 

“And when was that? Ten years ago? Twelve? Fourteen? Because if you really did check in as you claim you do, you’ll notice you have no parental rights any more.” Tony hissed. “He doesn’t even have your last name anymore. So no, Rogers. He’s mine.”

Steve tried not to let the hurt show on his face but it was impossible. He didn’t even have his name anymore? No parental rights? Why? When had this happened? He remembered when Tony has first come up with the idea of having children, how hard it was to find a surrogate. How they mixed everything up so they wouldn’t be able to know which one of them really fathered him, because to them, they both did. 

But now, he didn’t have any claim to him.

And it hurt. 

“Fuck this,” Tony hissed after a tense moment. “FRIDAY, block all notices unless it’s Rhodey or Peter. I’m going to my lab.” he said, standing up and placing his mug in the sink and began stomping towards the elevator that leads to his personal lab. 

“Sir, perhaps you should put some clothes on?” FRIDAY suggested. Tony growled. 

“Make a pit stop.” he said before the elevator doors closed and he was gone. It was silent in the kitchen for a few seconds before Sam let out a breath and placed a slightly burnt fried egg on a plate. 

“Well that was a great way to start the day,” he muttered, sitting down on the counter top and leaning against the cabinets. 

“I’ll drink to that.” Clint mumbled, lifting his mug of coffee and downing it in one gulp. 

Steve found himself silently agreeing.

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XX  
x

_Tony took in a trembling breath, looking down at his sleeping infant, unaffected by the heartbreaking news that plagued his father. He lightly petted his sons soft hair and let tears fall from his eyes._

_“Oh Peter,” he whispered. “It’s just you and me now. But that’s okay, right baby?” _

_Peter cooed in his sleep, his hand tensing before releasing. Like he was agreeing with him. _

_“I will always love you Peter.” he said, and then repeated the very words his mother had whispered to him whenever he was sad. “Finche il sole arde, ti amero.” _

_Tony pressed a watery kiss to his son’s soft forehead. _

_Yeah, he was going to be okay._

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XX  
x

“Wait, wait, back up,” Ned said, holding up a hand to stop Peter’s rambling, Peter sucked in a breath, his face red. “You said that your other dad, the one who left you, is living in your house again?”

“I know!” Peter cried. “It’s insane!” 

“And how does your dad feel about it?” Ned asked, taking a bite of his apple. Peter sighed and rested his head on the lunch table. 

“I don’t know, stressed? He’s not happy about it, I can tell.” Peter said. “And it’s so awkward cause all of his friends are there too. They’re just living downstairs.” 

“But isn’t this good? I mean now you can find out about the divorce. And why he left?” Ned asked. Peter huffed. 

“I guess? I don’t know. Dad doesn’t like to talk about it, and I don’t want to push him,” Peter said. 

“Yeah but don’t you think you have a right to know? I mean he was your father,” Ned pointed out. Peter just shrugged. “Look, what’s the harm in asking?” 

“Yeah I guess so,” Peter sighed. “But how do I even ask?”

“You just...ask.”


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter asks Steve about the divorce. It doesn't end well.

“Uh, Steve?” Peter asked softly, twiddling his thumbs. “I was wondering if I...I could talk to you? About the d-...the divorce?”

Silence.

“Ugh this is so stupid!” Peter groaned, covering his face with his hands, his reflection glaring back at him, almost mockingly at his fifth attempt at asking the question. He sighed. “FRIDAY? How’d that sound?” 

“I believe that was a wonderful attempt, Peter,” FRIDAY said in her ever-bubbly voice. Peter groaned. “Perhaps now is a good time to ask him? Mr. Rogers is currently alone in the gym.”

“What about my dad?” Peter asked. 

“Boss is currently in a board meeting downtown.” FRIDAY answered. Peter took in a deep breath. It’s now or never. 

Peter shakily walked over to the elevator and tapped his foot impatiently while it lowered down to the gym level. When it opened, Peter saw Steve in the corner, punching a punching back meant specifically for his strength. 

Peter took a deep breath and stepped forward…

...and turned back around. “Nope, nope, nope,” Peter mumbled under his breath as he speed walked towards the elevator. “Not doing this. Not today Satan, nope.”

“Peter?” Steve’s voice called from across the room. Shoot. 

Peter spun around, trying to calm his racing heart. “Hi, Steve! Hi, hello...erm..hi.”

Steve chuckled at his son’s awkwardness and took a step away from his punching bag, taking a towel and hanging it around his neck as he walked over to where Peter stood by the door. “Hey kiddo. What’s up?”

“Um...I, er, well you see I--”

“Peter had a question that he would like to discuss with you,” FRIDAY cut in. Steve’s eyebrow raised. 

“Sure thing. What’s the question?” Steve asked, leading Peter to a bench. 

“I was just curious about...well it’s kind of personal so you totally don’t have to answer...I was just...well I wanted to know about...erm, the...divorce?” he whispered the last word and then looked down at his clenched hands, expecting Steve to get offended and tell him to go away. 

Instead, Steve just sighed. “I figured that this would come up soon,” he said. Peter looked up at Steve hopefully. Was he really going to tell him? Did he finally get to know? “What do you know about it?”

Apparently, yes.

“Uh, not much,” Peter said sheepishly. “Just that you and Dad split. That’s kind of it.”

Steve took in a deep breath through his nose. “Jesus Tony,” he muttered. Peter felt like he should defend his dad. 

“It’s not his fault,” he said softly. “He never wanted to talk about it, so I never pushed. It’s not a big deal. I just...I wanna know now, you know?”

Steve smiled at Peter and nodded. “Yeah, I do.” he said. He then took a deep breath and looked up at the overhead lights. “Do you know who Bucky Barnes is?”

Peter hummed in thought. He had heard his dad talk about someone named that with his Uncle Rhodey, but as soon as Peter stepped into the room or brought it up, they would change the subject immediately, so Peter assumed it was one of those ‘forbidden topics’ like Afghanistan and Grandpa Howard. “Not really,” Peter admitted. “I’ve heard his name a few times.” 

“Well Bucky and I were, well we were best friends growing up,” Steve said. Peter blinked.

“Like, _growing up_ growing up? Like the forties?” Peter asked. Steve chuckled and nodded. “He must be old too, then?”

“Yes, he’s old like me. It’s a very long and complicated past that I don’t want to get into right now. Maybe later,” Steve said. Peter nodded. “Anyway, Bucky and I were really close to each other. He looked out for me, you know? Kept me from doing really stupid things.”

“Did you...did you love him?” Peter asked softly. Steve swallowed dryly and nodded. “Did you love him...more than my Dad?”

“I...I’m not sure,” Steve admitted softly. “I loved Bucky for so long. When I woke up from the ice I accepted that he was gone and I could never be with him. I moved on with Tony.” Steve then turned to face Peter. “I loved your father, Peter. Never doubt that. I always loved Tony. But when we found Bucky again, and he was alive I… I guess my love for him never truly went away.” 

Peter felt a little numb. He could tell where this conversation was going and it was making his head spin. As much as he didn’t want to hear Steve say it, he knew what was coming. “Did you cheat on my dad?” he asked, his voice so soft, even Steve’s super hearing had trouble picking it up. 

“Peter, you have to understand, I never meant to--”

“Did you?” Peter asked again, slightly louder than before. Steve looked down once more. 

“I did,” he said and Peter...Peter didn’t know how to react. Peter new that logically, that was one of the most likely reasons for his parents split, even Ned had said that that’s why almost 60% of divorces occur. And Peter didn’t even know why it upset him so much, maybe because deep down he wanted Steve to be his Poppa again, even though he had never been a Poppa in the first place. Maybe Peter just wanted an actual family again. Like Ned has. 

But after the moment of silent sadness and resignation, anger overtook him. He cheated on him. How could he do that? To his dad? His dad who, when he had the flu, called several different hospitals to get second and third opinions to make sure he wasn’t dying. His dad who, when Peter had a nightmare, would let Peter crawl into bed next to him and sleep on his arc reactor, the steady thrum of it sending Peter fast asleep. His dad who had the biggest heart in the world (arc reactor notwithstanding) and loved with every single part of him. How could he do such a thing? 

Peter clenched his fists together and took a deep breath so he wouldn’t yell at Steve. He was the one who wanted the answer in the first place. He should’ve known he wouldn’t like the answer. 

“Peter--” Steve tried again, but Peter wasn’t ready to let him speak yet. 

“Why did you never come back?” Peter asked the other question that had been weighing on his mind for his entire life. “You never...you never sent a card or a letter...did you...did you even remember I existed? Or did you just not care?”

“Oh Peter, of course I cared,” Steve murmured. “I was just so busy--”

“So busy that you forgot about your son?” Peter deadpanned. “So busy, you couldn’t even send a postcard or something to let him know that you care?”

“Peter, I am so sorry for never reaching out. I wanted to, I really did. At first I kept away because I knew Tony need time--”

“Well you did just break his heart and trust.”

“--but then I was so busy, with the Avengers and then tracking down Bucky--”

“Wait, you weren’t with Bucky?” Peter asked. “You cheated on my dad with him and when you guys split up you didn’t even stay with him?”

“Peter, Bucky wasn’t stable. He was still battling the mind control from HYDRA. He left a few months after the divorce. I knew he was alive, and at that time I was staying with Natasha,” Steve explained. “But when I heard that the Winter Soldier was back, I went to rescue Bucky.”

“Wait, Bucky Barnes is the Winter Soldier? You cheated on my dad with the Winter Soldier?!” Peter cried. “Seriously?!”

“Winter Soldier or not, Bucky is still my friend.” Steve said. 

“And Tony was your husband!” Peter exploded. “You made vows! You pledged your faith to him, and only him! But as soon as your BFF/Lover returns from the dead, you dip? That’s not how marriage works! And you had a child no less. You abandoned your family for a murderer!” 

“Peter!” Steve cried. 

Peter took in another deep breath, and he could feel the tears starting to well up in his eyes. He held his hands behind his back to hide their trembling. “I’m sorry, I think...I think I need to leave right now,” Peter said softly, in a controlled tone. “I don’t think I can be with you right now. Excuse me.”

And Peter fled to the safety of the elevator where he broke down in tears. 

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XX  
x

_“No! Fuck you. My answer is no! I don’t care what the procedure is! He fucked off to god knows where and hasn’t paid child support in four years...I don’t fucking care that I don’t need it! That’s not the fucking point, is it? It’s the precedent!... Whatever, just get rid of it. If he doesn’t want to be a father then he won’t be,” Tony hissed into the phone. He was working to get Steve’s parental rights removed, as it was easier that way to keep his son safe. But Steve’s lawyer was being a bitch about it._

_“Mr. Stark. My client does not wish to forfeit his parental rights.” the lawyer said. _

_“Yeah well he lost his say when he abandoned his family.”_

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XX  
x

“Hello gorgeous,” Tony said, winking at Pepper as he entered the building. Pepper rolled her eyes at the actions of her obnoxious boss. “What? Aren’t you proud of me? I went to that boring old meeting.”

“Oh wow, should I give you an award for actually doing your job?” Pepper asked sarcastically. Tony winced dramatically. 

“Ooh, burn,” he cried. “That’s hurts, sweetheart. It really does.” 

“Whatever,” Pepper responded. She thrust a large stack of papers into his hands. “This needs to be done by Thursday. Don’t put it off. Get it done.”

“Don’t we have other people to do this?” Tony whined. He hated paperwork. It was truly the incarnation of evil. 

“Yes, but this is too important for them. This is all you, boss.” Pepper smirked, (and why should she be so smug? This is torture!) 

“Fine,” Tony groaned. “I’ll be upstairs then. Tinkering.”

“Doing paperwork!” Pepper called back at Tony’s walking form. 

“Tom-a-toe, Tom-ah-toe,” was Tony’s response, before the elevator doors closed shut behind him. “Take me to my personal lab, FRI,” Tony said. He then looked down at the stack of papers in his hands in disgust. 

It looked so official. And boring. God, kill him now. 

The elevator dinged and Tony set the offending pile of papers into his desk before marching around to find something to tinker with while he procrastinated the official business of his company. 

He was in the middle of remodeling a roomba (he was going to give it a predetermined AI, similar to Dum-E and give it to Peter as a present) when FRIDAY alerted him that something was wrong. 

“Boss,” she said. Tony put down the screwdriver. “Peter appears to be in massive distress.” Tony’s heart stopped. He stood up quickly, knocking over the pile of papers on his desk into passive disarray on the floor. But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was Peter. 

“Where is he? Is he hurt? What happened?” he cried. 

“He is in the private elevator,” FRIDAY said. “I am sending him up to your lab now. He had a conversation with Mr. Rogers, and I do not believe it went well.” 

Steve? What happened there? What did Rogers do to his kid? The bell dinged signaling the elevators arrival and Tony all but sprinted over to where the doors had slid open to reveal his son, curled up in a fetal position in the corner, sobbing softly and clutching his knees to his chest. 

“_Oh mio dolce bambino_,” Tony whispered, wrapping his arms around Peter. He whimpered and turned around, grasping Tony’s shirt and clutching it for dear life. “_Mio prezioso piccolo_. What happened, Bambi? What happened?” 

“He...I...and then...and...I...he...why?” Peter blubbered, a steady stream of tears falling down his face. 

Tony softly peppered kisses along his son’s temple, shushing him comfortingly and trying to calm him down. They were still sitting on the floor of the elevator, and Tony’s leg were starting to go numb. He slid his hands underneath Peter and hefted him up, grunting from the effort it took to lift him. He carried Peter to the couch he had in the back of his workshop for sleeping and set him down gently. Peter did not let go of his shirt so Tony slid in next to him. Peter crawled into his lap and hugged Tony tightly around the middle, sobbing into his shirt. 

Finally, after what felt like hours, Peter calmed down enough to breathe normally again. He nuzzled into Tony’s chest before pulling back and looking at his father sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. 

“Hey, none of that, _bambino_,” Tony said softly. “Never apologize for that. I’ll always be here.”

“But...your shirt..” Peter said. Tony looked down to see his shirt a damp mess of tears and snot.Tony just chuckled. 

“I never liked this shirt anyway,” Tony said, petting his son’s soft chestnut curls. “Now. Tell me what happened?” 

Peter shook his head quickly (too quickly in Tony’s opinion, as Peter was probably dehydrated from crying so much. He didn't want Peter to get any dizzy spells) and bit his lip, looking down at the ground again. “You’ll get mad.” Peter said. 

“I promise I won’t get mad,” Tony said. (Lies.)

“I went to talk to Steve,” Peter admitted softly. Tony blinked. He knew that he had a talk with Rogers, FRIDAY had said as much, but he didn't realize that Peter had initiated it. “...about the...divorce.” 

Tony’s eyes widened impossibly big. He never thought that...he always expected Peter to come to him with any questions about the split. Not Rogers. Tony tried not to let it hurt that Peter asked Rogers (who’d only been here for a week damn it) and not Tony. 

“Please don’t be mad,” Peter rushed out, mistaking Tony’s shocked (and slightly hurt expression) for anger. “I just...I know you don’t like talking about it...but I wanted to know, and Ned said that I should just ask Steve and...well…”

“Peter, I’m not mad,” Tony said. “I’m just...I didn't know you wanted to know.”

“Of course I did. I mean, who wouldn’t?” Peter asked. “I just...whenever I brought it up you looked so uncomfortable I just assumed…”

“Peter I never meant to keep it from you,” Tony said. “You never asked and I didn't want to bring it up so…”

“It’s okay dad,” Peter said. “I get it now. Why you wouldn’t want to talk about it. What Steve said…”

“What _did_ Steve say?” Tony asked, genuinely curious. (He wasn’t worried that Rogers had lied and said something to make Peter hate Tony. He wasn’t.) 

“Just that...he cheated on you...with Bucky Barnes.” Peter said, and Tony felt that stab again, on the inside of his chest. It used to feel like something else, but then, time heals all wounds so it didn’t hurt as much now. 

“Yeah,” Tony says, wrapping his arms around Peter and tugging him in for a hug. “He did.” 

“I’m sorry dad,” Peter mumbled against Tony’s shoulder. 

“Me too, kiddo. Me too.”


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony enters 'Mama Bear mode' and the rogues fight. Tony and Peter share a meaningful talk and a certain field trip is coming up.

Tony prides himself on being slightly less impulsive than he used to be. He likes to think that becoming a father changed him. Some things for the worse, but overall, most things for the better. You see, as a parent, you can never make a single decision without wondering how it will affect your child. And ever since Peter was born, he started to think his decisions through, make sure that there were no negative outcomes for Peter. And if there were, they were small enough or tame enough that Tony could deal with it. 

Of course all rationality and decision making skills go out of the window when Peter is hurt or sad. He forgets what bad publicity will bring for ruining a bully financially. He forgets that threatening doctors and nurses will lead to a large news article and talk show hosts talking about weeks after the event. 

Rhodey calls it his ‘mama bear mode’ and when he gets in it, nothing (and he means nothing) can stop him, lest it get destroyed in his path of destruction. 

So when Peter finally manages to fall asleep (albeit fitfully) there isn’t a single thing that can stop the pure rage that filters through him. Logically he knows that he shouldn’t blame Rogers (well, the affair notwithstanding) but seeing the look on his son’s face was enough for logic to be thrown clear out of the park. 

He stomped up to where the rogues were having their dinner and slammed his fist down of the table, causing them to jump. “What right do you have?” he hissed at Steve, who was taken aback at the venom in Tony’s voice. 

“Tony?” Clint asked. “What are you doing?”

“How dare you!” Tony continued, Clint’s question appearing to have fallen on deaf ears. “Of all the things, and today no less! Do you have any idea how upset he is? What were you thinking? Oh, I’m sorry, you weren’t! _Idiota figlio di puttana, non hai cervella_?” 

“Stark! Calm down! What’s your problem?” Natasha demanded. 

“My problem? My problem is that this _stronzo_ decided to tell Peter about the affair!” Tony cried. Natasha looked confused. 

“He didn’t know?” she asked. 

“No!” 

“Why were you keeping that from him?” Clint asked. 

“I wasn’t. He never asked, and I assumed he didn't care. I didn’t know he wanted to know. I would’ve told him,” Tony said, shooting a glare at Steve. “In a more sensitive way. He just cried himself to sleep you _cazzo virtuoso_.” 

Steve swallowed guiltily. “I didn’t mean to...I just...he wanted to know so I--”

“Yeah well now I need you to do us both a favor and back off.” Tony said. 

“Tony-”

“Whatever, I’m busy. Stay away from my kid.” and with that Tony spun on his heels and marched out of the room, leaving them in stunned silence. 

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XX  
x

“Wait, so he cheated?” Ned asked. Peter nodded glumly, looking down at the chemistry worksheet in front of him. The problems were basic and he had already solved them all in his head, but he still had to write them down. He had confided in Ned about the conversation he had with Steve and asked for advice. “That sucks. I’m sorry, man.”

“What should I do?” he asked. “I mean, what do I do now?”

“I don’t know, what do you think you should do?” Ned asked, finishing his calculations and writing them down on his paper. “He’s your dad.”

“I just...I don’t understand why I’m so angry with him, you know?” Peter admitted. “I mean, it all happened when I was just a baby. It didn’t even affect me.”

“But it did,” Ned pointed out. “You only grew up with one dad because of his choice. And he hurt your dad.”

“Well yeah but…” 

“But what?” Ned asked. “You have a right to be angry, Peter. What he did split up your family.”

“But he’s not really my family,” Peter said and then winced at how insensitive it sounded. “That came out meaner than I wanted it to.”

“Don’t censor your feelings Peter,” Ned said with a light chuckle. “They’re valid, even if they’re mean. If you’re hurt then you’re hurt, it’s okay to express that.”

“What do you think I should do now?” Peter asked again. “Now that I know the truth, I don’t know if I want him to stay with us.”

“Well the real question, Peter, is do you not want him to stay because of what he did to you or what he did to your dad?”

Ned turned back to pay attention to the teacher, while Peter remained dazed, staring unseeingly at the wall as the question bounced around in his head. It was a good question, and one Peter didn’t know the answer to. 

Sure, he was upset because of what Steve did to his dad. He hurt him. And Peter loved his dad, so much. And the thought that someone had hurt his dad so much was living in his house again, it made Peter angry on his dad’s behalf. But Peter wasn’t sure if that anger was appreciated. 

After all, didn’t Peter get upset whenever his dad tried to be overprotective and hurt anyone that hurt Peter. How is the situation any different?

Peter sighed and picked up his pencil, writing out the calculations on the paper. 

Peter wasn’t so sure the situation _was_ any different.

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XX  
x

“Dad?” Peter asked softly, looking at his father’s tense form. He was hunched over his desk, his eyes going over a stack of paper. “Can I talk to you?”

Tony looked up and smiled, setting down his pen and gesturing for Peter to sit down on a plush couch in the corner of his office. “Sure kiddo, what’s up?”

“I just...I’m kind of...confused.” Peter said, holding his knees to his chest, resting his head on his knees and looking up at his dad. 

“Well between our two brains, I think we can figure it out,” Tony chuckled. “What’s going on?”

“Well, I talked to Ned,” Peter said. Tony nodded and Peter took that as a sign to continue. “About the conversation I had with Steve.” and there was the flicker of recognition in Tony’s eyes. Ned was the kid that told Peter to talk to Steve. Tony isn’t surprised that Peter talked to him again.

“And what about that conversation has you confused?” Tony asked. 

“I’m angry.” Peter admitted softly, like it was a dirty secret. Tony blinked. That’s not what he was expecting. “And I don’t know why. Ned says that I can be angry because what Steve did hurt us. But it didn’t hurt me personally.”

“I’m not sure where you’re going with this…” Tony said. 

“I told Ned that I didn’t want Steve to stay with us. In the Tower.” Peter said. That, Tony had also not been expecting. His boy sure was full of surprises. “And Ned asked me a question that I can’t stop thinking about.”

“Okay. What was it?”

“He asked me if I was angry with Steve for you.” Peter said. “And I think I am. I think I’m angry with him because he hurt you. Kind of like how you were mad at Flash for bullying me. And I know I didn’t like that, so maybe you won’t like it either.” 

Tony tried not to chuckle. He really did. But it was hard not to. “Aw Petey,” Tony said, walking over to Peter and ruffling his hair. “That’s sweet. I’m honored that you’re angry on my behalf, but kiddo, you don’t have to be. I made my peace with Rogers a long time ago.”

“But you haven’t,” Peter accused. “You still call him ‘Rogers’. And you’re always so...hostile with him and the other rogues. They hurt you dad, and as much as you try to convince others you’re over it. You can’t lie to me.” 

Tony sighed. “You got me, kiddo.” he said, sitting down next to Peter on the couch. “I am still angry with them. But that anger, it’s _mine_. It’s something that I have to work out on my own. I don’t want my anger to fuel yours.”

“But you’re letting them stay? Even though you’re still angry?” Peter asked. 

“That, I don’t have a choice on,” Tony said. “But if I did, I don’t think I would let them. But that shouldn’t affect anything. Peter, if you’re angry with him, that's okay. He may have cheated on me, but he left you. And I’m not trying to villainize him,--what he did was messed up, I know,--but that kind of thing hurts. And it’s okay to be hurt.”

Peter wanted to agree with his dad. He really did. But he wasn’t hurt. He was just angry. “I know dad,” Peter said. “But I’m okay. I’m just mad at him for hurting you.”

“Okay _bambino_,” Tony sighed. “You can be angry. But promise me you won’t take out your anger on anyone?”

Peter nodded. “I promise.”

“That’s my boy.”

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XX  
x

_“Hey, hey, what’s wrong, bambino?” Tony asked, picking up his sobbing tot and holding him close to his chest. Peter had just come back from his pre school and the second he saw Tony, he had burst into to tears. _

_“They-..they s-said we...w-we were a...bad f-family!” Peter wailed. _

_“What? Why?” Tony asked, his eyes wide. _

_“Because...because...because it’s just us.” Peter cried, tears staining Tony’s shirt. “Because I don’t have...a..m-mommy. Or a-another...daddy!”_

_Tony looked at his four-year-old son and frowned. “We don’t need anyone else, Petey.” Tomy said, pressing a kiss to his son’s temple. “Just you and me. Forever.”_

_Peter sniffed. “P-promise?”_

_“Promise.”_

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XX  
x

“Peter are you excited?” Ned asked, shaking Peter’s arm back and forth. 

“Excited? For what?”

Ned huffed. “Weren’t you paying attention? We have a field trip!”

“A field trip? Where?”

“Oscorp!”


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky have a talk. Peter comes up with a plan to go on the field trip.

“How are you doing?” Steve asked, the AC above humming softly. The phone in his hand was old and cracked, but it was the only one that had his number and connected to him. “I mean, how’s everyone treating you there?”

“Pretty good,” Bucky’s voice was distorted by the call, but the familiar sound made Steve’s emotions settle. “That Shuri always talks to me. Doll’s a blessing.”

“That’s great, Buck.” Steve said. 

“What about you, punk?” Bucky asked. Steve opened his mouth to say everything was fine, that his entire world hadn’t just gone to shit. “And don’t say it’s all good. I can tell something’s up.”

Darn. There goes that plan. “It’s just...it’s been harder than I thought it would be.”

“What? Seeing your ex or your son?” Bucky asked. 

“He’s apparently not my son anymore.” Steve said bitterly. 

“What?! What do you mean?” Bucky demanded. Steve huffed and turned onto his back, facing the ceiling. 

“He had my rights removed,” Steve responded. 

“But I thought your lawyer--”

“--took care of it. Me too. Apparently when he said ‘took care of it’ he meant giving up my rights,” Steve said. “I didn’t even know.” 

“Aw, I’m sorry, that sucks,” Bucky said. “But at least you get to see him?”

“Yeah, well apparently Stark never told Peter about the divorce. Peter didn’t know about any of it,” Steve said. “He asked me about it yesterday and it didn’t really go well.” 

“What happened?”

“Yelled at me. Said I hurt Tony. How I abandoned my family for you. Then he left,” Steve said, covering his face in his hands. “What do I do Buck? I want to fix this. I don’t want...I want to be his Poppa again, but he’s so angry, I don’t even know where to start.”

“Maybe you should talk to him?” Bucky offered. Steve snorted. 

“Yeah, look how well that turned out.” Steve said dryly. “He hates me now.”

“Aw, Punk, he doesn’t hate you. He’s just angry right now,” Bucky said. “Just give him time to process it. And try not to push him.”

Steve sighed. “I know. I just...I’ve never been the best at being patient.”

Bucky snorted. “That’s a lie. You’re all about those virtues.”

“Not when it comes to Peter,” Steve sighed. “But I guess I’ll just have to wait for the right opportunity.”

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XX  
x

“OSCORP?!” Peter cried. Ned looked at him in surprise, not expecting his friend to shout like that. 

“What? That didn’t really sound like an excited shout,” Ned said. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m never going to be able to go!” Peter groaned. “My Dad _hates_ Oscorp. He’ll never let me.” 

“Why does your dad hate Oscorp?” Ned asked, and for a second, Peter had forgotten that nobody knew he was Tony Stark’s son. 

“Well, my dad thinks Norman Osborne is a crook,” Peter explained, not entirely lying because, well. He did. “And he hates him. If I tell him the field trip is to Oscorp, I’ll never get to go.” 

“So don’t tell him,” Ned suggested. 

“How so?”

“Just like, I don’t know, cover the name?” Ned said. “Like with a piece of paper or something, and then just trick her into signing it!”

“My Dad would never fall for that.” 

“Okay, so then get someone else to sign it.” Ned said. “What about your Uncle? You said you’re close, right?”

“He hates Osborne too,” Peter explained. “And he’d never lie to my dad about me. He’s just as protective as my dad.”

“What about your...other dad?”

Peter blinked and looked at Ned who was now staring into his locker like it was a television. “What?” Peter spluttered. “You want me to ask...my other dad. The one who cheated?”

“Yeah, I mean..he’s your dad right?”

“Not technically,” Peter said. “My dad had his parental rights removed. Besides, I’m mad at him. Why would I ask him for help?”

“Well for one, it’ll help you start to mend the bond between the two of you--”

“--what makes you think I want to mend the bond?” Peter cut in sharply. Ned just gave him a look that read Really? and Peter just huffed and crossed his arms. “And the other reason?”

Ned smiled. “You get to go on the field trip.”

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
x

“This is stupid,” Peter muttered under his breath. And it was. Why should he ask Steve to sign his stupid permission slip? He was still angry with him, and asking him to sign a field trip permission slip (which is supposed to be signed by parents) is a little counterproductive. It would send Steve the wrong message because Peter had definitely not forgiven him. And it kind of felt like Peter was just using him. 

All things he didn’t condone. 

But then, he really wanted to go on the field trip. And his Dad hated Norman Osborne and there was no way he’d sign the permission slip. He’d probably just insist that Peter stay at home with him that day--or even worse--hold a field trip to SI.

So, in a way, Peter was choosing the lesser of two evils. 

At least, that’s what Peter was telling himself. 

The living room in the Avengers Suite was two doors down and Peter was having a hard time convincing himself to walk in. He knew that they were all in there watching a movie, and part of him wanted to just back off and go back upstairs. Forget the whole trip in the first place. 

But Peter wanted to go. He could spend time with Ned and laugh at the silly inventions that the company made, and take a break from school. All he had to do was ask. 

Peter took a deep breath and walked through the door. 

They were watching Frozen, and it took Peter aback because the last thing expected to see was Black Widow sitting on the foor, holding a pillow close to her chest and mouthing the words to ‘Let it Go’. It was actually a heartwarming scene and Peter tried not to think about what it would’ve been like if none of it had happened, and he grew up with Steve and the Avengers as his family. 

But then Sam noticed Peter and paused the movie. “Heya Peter,” he said cheerfully. “What brings you down here? Did you want to watch with us?”

The rest of the group turned around to face him, Steve staring at Peter with a mixed look of longing and guilt on his face. Peter took a deep breath. “No I..I actually wanted to t-talk to Steve?”

Curse his stuttering!

Steve tensed for a second before allowing a smile to spread on his face. “Sure thing, Peter. Why don’t we step into the kitchen?” he offered, standing up and leading Peter out of the room. He tried not to think about how the other people would be listening through the door. 

Peter looked uncomfortable in the room, shifting on his feet every few seconds and staring at the ground. He fingered a paper he was holding and Steve waited patiently for him to say something. “I was wondering if you would sign this.” Peter said finally. 

Steve felt his heart start to race. Sign what? What would it be? A restraining order? Some other paperwork that would ensure Steve would never be able to see his son again? Steve shakily took the paper and tried to remind himself to stay calm. Whatever it was, he could get through it. 

“A...permission slip?” Steve asked, his voice tilting in confusion. Isn’t this what you give to parents? Why would Peter ask Steve to sign it?

“Yeah, I...it’s for a field trip...and I just...will you sign it?” Peter asked again, his gaze not leaving the floor. 

“Uh, sure, but...why do you want me sign it?” Steve asked, trying not to let his happiness show. Did this mean that Peter still wanted him as a dad? He fumbled around the kitchen for a pen while he waited for Peter to speak again. 

“I um...well I know that Dad wouldn’t...because he’s biased towards the company,” Peter explained. Steve hesitated. If Tony didn’t want Peter to go, he would be pissed if he found out Steve went behind his back. “But I really want to go and...Ned thinks I should ask you...he thinks it will help ‘mend our relationship’,” Peter says, using air quotes. “I don’t know how this would fix our relationship but...I talked to Dad and...I’m angry with you.” he said bluntly. 

Steve blinked. “I understand why you’re angry Peter and I--”

“Wait, let me finish, please,” Peter said softly. Steve closed his mouth and nodded. “I’m angry with you but Dad says that I shouldn’t be angry for him, and that’s mostly why I’m angry so I’m going to try and get through it. And Ned’s really smart so...if he thinks this will help...I guess I can try?”

Steve nodded, his emotions fighting with each other, trying to decide which one will win out. He isn’t sure whether he should be excited because Peter wants to try and fix things or be sad because he’s still so angry with him. But he decides to just take what he can get. He signs the paper and hands it back to Peter. 

Peter takes it gratefully. “Peter,” Steve says. “I want to fix our relationship too.”

Peter meets gazes with Steve for a second before he nods and looks away. “Thank you.” he whispers. 

Steve nods and Peter walks away. Steve watches as the elevator door closes behind him before he opens the kitchen door and tries not to laugh at the scene in front of him. It was obvious that they were eavesdropping on the conversation between Peter and him, and only Natasha knew how to ‘act natural’.

Sam had taken his phone and held it to his ear, pretending to talk to someone, but his receiver was upside down. Clint sat on the couch, fiddling with his hearing aids, but Steve could tell he was turning them down from high. 

Steve clapped his hands together. “Now,” he said. “Who wants to watch an ice palace be built?”

.

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XX  
x

_“Tony? Are you drunk?” an exasperated voice called in his ear. Tony looked up to see Rhodey standing over him disapprovingly. “What are you doing?”_

_“Honey-Bear! So good of you to join the party!” Tony yelled, hooking Rhodey into a hug and pulling him around in a circle. _

_“What party? There’s no one here! How much did you drink?” Rhodey demanded. _

_“Only a couple..” _

_“A couple of what, Tony?” Rhodey said. He frowned at Tony’s appearance. He was wearing rumpled clothes and holding a half-drank bottle of whiskey (God, he really hoped it wasn’t full before) and his eyes held dark bags under them._

_“Mm, a couple of bottles,” Tony said, after scrunching his eyebrows together in thought. _

_“BOTTLES?!” Rhodey cried. “Tony what the hell? You can’t be doing this to yourself! Think about Peter!”_

_Tony’s eyes widened when Rhodey mentions his son’s name. “Peter? Where is my little bambino? I want to see him!”_

_“No, Tony,” Rhodey said harshly. “I’m not letting you see him like this. He’s at his Aunt’s house, and until you sober up, he’s staying there.”_

_“You can’t take my baby away!” Tony yelled, shoving Rhodey away from him. “He’s mine! Not yours! Bring him back!”_

_“No Tony,” Rhodey said again. “You’re drunk.”_

_“I’m not drunk. You are,” Tony hissed. “I want to see him. Please, Rhodey? I want to see him.”_

_“Tony, you can’t see Peter right now--”_

_“Not Peter,” Tony said, tears spilling over his eyes. “Steve. I want to see my husband.”_

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
x

“Alright class, stay close to each other. We’re going to start the tour now. Remember everyone, no touching.” the tour guide said. Peter grinned at Ned. “Welcome to Oscorp.”


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and the Rogues attend a meeting and when they return they are greeted with an awful discovery. More of Tony and Steve’s past is revealed.

“Okay, why am I here?” Tony demanded, glaring at Fury through the tint of his signature sunglasses. “I’m too busy for these meetings.”

“Well if you would just do as I say, we wouldn’t need these meetings,” Fury snapped. 

“No can do, Captain Sparrow,” Tony responded dryly. “You know I don’t follow the rules.” Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. 

“The dynamic between the team hasn’t changed,” Fury says, addressing Steve. “In fact, it almost looks worse than it was before. How is that even possible?” 

The room tried not to stare at Tony and Steve. Fury groaned. “Of course it’s you two,” he said. “What happened this time?”

“Rogers overstepped,” Tony snapped. “The situation is being taken care of. It’s not a big deal.” 

“I overstepped? Seriously? How was I overstepping?” Steve demanded. “He’s my son too!”

“No he isn’t,” Tony hissed. “You keep saying that! It’s not fucking true!”

“I’ll keeping saying it as long as I want to, because it’s not going to change. As much as you hate it, he’s just as much mine as he is yours!” Steve yelled. 

“Oh fuck you!” Tony snarled. “_Sei proprio come Howard, fossilizzato fossile_!” 

“I don’t even know what that means!” Steve yelled. 

“CAN IT!” Fury yelled over top of their arguing. “I don't give a rat’s ass what Rogers did to piss you off, Stark, but it’s over. Now. Make up so we can leave. As you’ve already said, we all have better things to do then watch you two have a pissing contest.” 

“Fine,” Tony huffed. “Steve, let’s just say ‘sorry’ on the count of three. One...two...three…” there was only silence. Steve stared at Tony and Tony stared back, unapologetic. Tony rolled his eyes. “See, now I’m disappointed in the both of us.” 

“Get. Out. Of. MY OFFICE!” Fury snarled, whirling around and marching out of the room, the doors slamming shut behind him. 

“Oh no, we shivered his timbers.”

.

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XX  
x

Peter was dizzy. 

It was weird. He shouldn’t be dizzy, but he was. The world was spinning in impossible loops, reminding him of those horrid tea cup rides his Dad would always take him on whenever they went to an amusement park. 

Why was the world spinning? It wasn’t supposed to be. 

And...was it hot in here?

And...when did Peter even get home?

Wait, when did Peter leave home?

Wasn’t he supposed to be going somewhere?

Didn’t he...have...a….field….trip……..today?

The world went black.

.

.

.

_“Rhodey? I think he’s...I think he’s cheating on me.” Tony whispered into the receiver, his tears falling down his face as he sat alone in a dark and empty kitchen. _

_“What? Tony that’s serious! Are you sure?” Rhodey asked, his voice sounding frantic. _

_Tony looked down at his tablet, the security feeds showing his husband--Steve--holding a man’s hand (was that...Bucky? Bucky Barnes?) and reaching up to cup his face. Tony swallowed back bile when his husband leaned in and kissed the man’s lips with just as much passion (and love?) as he did with Tony. _

_“Yeah...I’m sure.”_

.

.

.

_“I’m home!”_

_Steve entered the living room to see Tony sitting in a reading chair, his arms crossed and guarded as he stared at Steve. “Hello Steve,” he said. Steve smiled at his husband’s antics. _

_“Hey sugar,” he said. He moved forward to kiss Tony but he held up a hand. Steve looked at Tony in confusion. “What?”_

_“So how was Bucky?”_

_Steve froze. _

_“W-what?” he asked, swallowing thickly. _

_“Did you have fun? Did he kiss you the way I do? Did he fuck you the way I do?” Tony said again, his voice terrifyingly calm and controlled. “Did you whisper to him when it was over? How much you loved him? How the only person in the world for you was him? Huh? Did you, Steve?”_

_“Tony…” Steve whispered, his arms reaching up to grab his husband. Tony glared at him, his eyes full of disgust, anger--and pain. So much pain. It felt like a hot torch in his gut. _

_“How could you?” he asked, his voice coming out in a broken whisper. “How could you, Steve? How?”_

_“Tony I--”_

_“I want you out of this house. Take your shit and go.” _

.

.

.

_“And now comes the last topic that needs to be discussed,” the mediator said, stacking the papers. “Custody of the child.”_

_“I think--”_

_“He’s mine.” Tony cut in, throwing a glare at Steve, who shrunk under the heated gaze. “I want full custody. I can take care of him, provide for him financially and emotionally. I can protect him. He stays with me.” _

_“Mr. Rogers?”_

_Steve looked at Tony pleadingly, but Tony didn’t waver. “I...I don’t...I still want him…” he said. _

_“Can you provide for him? Are you prepared to support and take care of a nine-month old baby?” the mediator asked, her voice soft. _

_Steve shook his head. The mediator hummed sadly, sending Steve a sympathetic glance before addressing the room filled with Tony and Steve’s lawyers and a judge. _

_“Mr. Stark, you may keep full custody of your son Peter Stark-Rogers, and Mr. Rogers, you will be granted visitation rights. When you become financially stable and prepared to take care of a child, we may revisit the custody.” the mediator said, looking towards the Judge for approval. _

_The lawyers shook hands and left, and Tony followed his, not sparing a second glance back at his now ex-husband. _

.

.

.

“Stella Stellina,” _Tony sung softly, holding Peter close to his chest as he rocked back and forth, trying to soothe the infant to sleep._ “La notte si avvicina, La fiamma traballa, La mucca è nella stalla. La pecora e l’agnello, La vacca col vitello, La chioccia coi pulcini, La gatta coi gattini. E tutti fan la nanna, Nel cuore della mamma.” 

_Peter cooed softly, and Tony smiled, his son’s soft skin resting against his bare chest, as the Pediatrician said skin-to-skin contact was very healthy for a baby and developing bonds with the parent. _

_He hummed the lullaby again, and carefully set Peter down in his crib. _

_“Goodnight,_ bambino,”_ he whispered._

.

.

.

_“Daddy?” Peter asked, setting down his red crayon and peered up at Tony. _

“Si bambino?” _Tony responded, looking up from the dinosaur coloring book Peter had insisted on coloring with him. _

_“Do I have a mommy?”_

_Tony set down the blue crayon and lifted Peter up from the ground and set him on his lap. “Hmm, everybody has mommies, Pete,” Tony said. “It’s how you came into this world.”_

_“But I don’t have a mommy the way Ned has a mommy,” Peter mumbled, looking down at the ground. “Ned’s mommy is really nice. And pretty. Is my mommy really nice and pretty?”_

_Tony smiled softly. “She was Peter. She was really nice. And pretty.”_

_“Where is my mommy?” Peter asked. Tony frowned. That was a little harder to explain. Mary Fitzpatrick was a very close friend of Tony and Steve’s. Back when they were still married, they had asked her if she would consider being a surrogate for them. She had agreed but after Peter was born, she went missing. It wasn’t until a few weeks later did he see that she had died in a plane crash._

_“Your mommy isn’t here anymore, Peter,” Tony said finally. “She had to go away. For good.”_

_“Like Ned’s Nanna?”_

_Tony nodded. “Like Ned’s Nanna.” _

.

.

.

_“Daddy?” he had asked, the dinosaur coloring book long forgotten on the floor. “Are you going to go away like Ned’s Nanna and Mommy?”_

_Tony blinked._

_“I’m going to try really really hard not to, Petey,” Tony said, knowing that he couldn’t make that promise to his five year old son when anything could happen. “I’m going to stay with you until you get tired of me.”_

_“Impossible!” Peter gasped. “I’ll always love you, daddy!”_

_“You will?”_

_“Yep! What do you always say daddy?_ Finche il sole brucia.” 

_Tony smiled. _“Finche il sole brucia.”

.

.

.

When they entered the tower, Tony intended to escape to his workshop, ignore the existence of his ex-teammates for as long as possible, and lick his wounds. Instead, an alert from FRIDAY stopped them the second they stepped foot in the Avengers Suite (Tony wanted some coffee and the closet coffee pot was in that damn kitchen).

“Boss,” FRIDAY said. “As per Need A Bandaid Protocol I am required to report to you of Peter’s dangerous vitals.”

Tony’s heart stopped dead in his chest. (and stop it, brain. Let his lungs do their fucking job!) “FRIDAY? What’s wrong with Peter?” he demanded. “Where is he?”

“Peter is currently unconscious in the penthouse living room with a temperature of 103.7 degrees fahrenheit. His fever is dangerously high and paramedics are strongly suggested.” FRIDAY said. 

Tony ran. 

He didn’t notice anyone else following him, he didn't hear the panicked shouts of the rogues behind him as he raced up the stairs (the elevator would’ve taken way too long) all he could think about was Peter. 

Peter. He needed to get to his son. He ran into the living room and his blood froze at the sight of his usually lively son laying on the floor...lifelessly. His hair was damp and soaked to his flushed skin. He was breathing in shallowly, and small, almost silent whimpers escaped his chapped lips. 

Tony pulled Peter into his arms and panicked at the heat radiating off of him. He was like a furnace! “Shitshitshitshit!” he cried. “What do I do? Peter? Bambino? Baby can you hear me? Peter?”

Peter’s eyes fluttered but they were hazy and unfocused. “_Papa?_” he said, his voice hoarse. “Daddy it hurts,” he whimpered. 

Tony blinked away the tears. “I know sweetie, I know. It’s okay, it’s going to be okay.” 

“Boss, his fever has raised to 104.9. Paramedics are required. I am calling the ambulance now.” FRIDAY said. Tony squeezed Peter tighter. “Try to reduce his temperature while you wait.”

“Okay, okay,” Tony said. He looked up and for the first time noticed the rogues, shifting awkwardly in the room. “Get some ice or something! Please, help him!”

Natasha ran out of the room, running in a few seconds later with a wet towel. She handed it to Tony and he pressed it against Peter’s feverish forehead. Peter groaned in response. “Please, it’s not enough. I don’t know what to do. FRIDAY! What’s the ETA on the paramedics?” Tony yelled. 

“They will be here in five minutes.” FRIDAY said. “Try placing him in a bath of cold water. That should greatly reduce his fever.” 

“Okay, okay,” he moved to pick him up when Peter tensed. His body then started thrashing, his eyes opening and rolling back into his head, so only his eyes white were showing. “FRIDAY!” Tony screamed. “What’s happening?!” 

“Peter appears to be experiencing a seizure.” FRIDAY said and...and fuck!

(His baby was having a seizure!)

“Fuck,” came Clint’s quiet voice. 

“What do I do?” Tony demanded, trying to remind himself not to pass out. He needed to remain calm, for Peter’s sake. 

“It is advisable to put something in his mouth, so that he does not bite off his tongue,” FRIDAY said. A weird noise escaped from the back of Tony’s throat at the thought of his baby biting through his tongue. But just as he moved to find a belt or something, Peter’s body stopped thrashing around. 

“It appears the seizure has stopped. It would be a good idea to cool him down quickly now, before he has another one.” FRIDAY said. 

Tony lifted Peter up, his knees buckling from fear, as he ran into the closest full bathroom. “Steve! Get the water going!” he demanded. Steve jumped at being addressed, his eyes not leaving his son’s limp form. “STEVE! WAKE THE FUCK UP AND HELP ME!!!” 

Steve jumped into action and turned the knob for cold water as Tony lowered himself and Peter into the water. Peter whimpered at the change in temperature but otherwise remained unresponsive. Tony shakily petted his son’s hair as he let the cold water rush over his overheated son’s body. 

“The paramedics are on their way up,” FRIDAY said. Tony let out a sigh of relief just as Peter’s eyes opened again. He stared, unseeingly, at the ceiling. His eyes flickered around the room a few times, but it was clear he didn’t know what was going on. 

That...vacant look on his son’s face scared Tony more than the unconsciousness. 

“_Papa? Dov’e il mio papa? Ho bisogno di mio padre_,” Peter whimpered softly. “_Fa molto freddo_.”

Tony let out a sob, his heart hammering against his chest (please, please, please, please, not his baby. Anyone but his baby) and the paramedics burst through the bathroom door. They instantly saw Peter and demanded that the people in the way, move. 

Tony didn’t know what they were saying, but it didn’t look good. He could tell by the way they pursed their lips at the way Peter mumbled incoherently. They lifted Peter out of the tub of water and put him on a stretcher, injecting him with something in a needle (and his baby hated needles. Why wasn’t he responding?)

Tony followed the paramedics down the emergency elevator and into the ambulance. He was in a state of catatonia, his eyes never leaving his son’s face. The sweat dripped down his forehead and Tony yearned to reach forward and press a kiss to his temple. To soothe him. To make sure he was still breathing. 

“_Papa?_” Peter said again, his eyes wide and staring at Tony (he was seeing him, his baby could see him) “_Il sole sta ancora bruciando?_” 

Tony sobbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
\- "You're just like that fossil Howard!"   
\- "Stella Stellina" the italian lullaby   
\- "As long as the sun burns"  
\- "Dad?"  
\- "Papa? Where is my Papa? I need my dad," "It's really cold."  
\- "Papa?" "Is the sun still burning?"


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony discovers the source of Peter’s sickness and rages. Peter discovers some interesting new things about himself.

There wasn’t a single thing Tony hated more than hospitals. Nothing. (except when Peter was hurt. That’s the only exception) The lines of sick people, the germs, the smell of antiseptic. All of it. It was torture. 

But what was worse was the waiting.

Tony tapped his foot impatiently in the waiting room of the hospital, the rogues seated in the chairs around him, trying to ignore the states from the other people in the room. Thankfully no one approached them, asking for an autograph or something, because if they did Tony wasn’t sure if he would be able to hold it together. 

Rhodey held Tony close, whispering comforting words into his ears. Tony trusted Rhodey, he wouldn’t lie to him. If Rhodey said Peter would be okay, then Tony believed him. His hands trembled as he remembered the vacant look on his son’s face on the ride to the hospital.

It was like he was there, but wasn’t. (It wasn’t his son. It was an empty shell. Tony wanted his Peter back)

“Family of Peter Stark?”

Tony’s head snapped up as he all but sprinted over to where a woman stood. “Yes? That’s me.” Tony said quickly, his heart racing. (Please, god, please. Save his baby. Please.)

“Peter’s condition has stabled--”

Relief. Pure relief floods through Tony, and he sags, leaning into Rhodey for support. Thank everything and anything out there that kept his baby alive. This hospital was going to get a hefty donation once everything settled down. 

“--his temperature was very high for a few minutes, but we were able to bring it back down. We need to wait for him to wake up to see if there was any brain damage,” the woman continued. And fuck. If that didn't make Tony scared again. “But it is very unlikely. Your son is in very good shape, Mr. Stark.”

“Can I…” Tony swallowed. “Can I see him?”

“Sure,” the woman nodded. “Follow me.” Tony, Rhodey and the rest of the rogues followed the doctor down the hall into the ICU. Tony tried not to cry even more when he saw Peter. 

It was so wrong.

He never wanted to see Peter this way again. Words couldn’t even describe how wrong it was to see Peter lying there, IV’s and tubes connecting him to monitors, unconscious in a hospital bed. The monitor said that Peter’s temperature had decreased to 102.4 degrees. It wasn’t ideal, but it was much better from the previous, organ-melting 105. 

Tony sat down in the chair next to Peter’s bed, and he took Peter’s hand into his. It was clammy with sweat and it was just wrong. So, so wrong. 

Why wasn’t he jumping and laughing and rambling? 

He was fine this morning. He was perfectly fine this morning. How could this of happened? 

“Mr. Stark?” the doctor called. Tony looked up. “Your son showed signs of radiation poisoning. Do you have any idea where this could have happened?”

Radiation poisoning?

“I...I don’t...I don’t think so…” Tony said. The doctor frowned. 

“The encounter must have happened some time today,” the doctor said. “It’s too violent to have happened over time. Do you know of any places he may have gone today that could have exposed him to radiation?”

“No! I don’t know! He was at school today!” Tony cried. 

“...Oscorp.” Steve said. The room turned to stare at him, and he shifted uncomfortably. “Does Oscorp deal with radiation?”

“Yes,” the doctor said. “It does. It often uses radiation with animal test subjects. Are you saying that Peter went there today?” 

Tony narrowed his eyes impossibly thin. “Rogers?” he hissed. Steve flinched at the tone. 

“Yes.” he said. Toiny sucked in a breath, aghast. “He had a field trip there with his class today.” 

The doctor nodded and wrote something down on a clipboard. “Thank you, Mr. Rogers. That will be very helpful.” and with that, the woman left the room, leaving Steve in a room with a furious Tony Stark. 

“Rogers,” he said, an angry calm resting on his face. “You have one minute to explain why my kid went on a field trip to _Oscorp without my knowledge_.”

“He...He approached me a few days ago with a permission slip. He said he knew you wouldn’t let him go and asked that I sign it,” Steve explained. “He said he was trying to stop being angry and that his friend said it was good place to start.”

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe there was a reason why I didn’t want him to go on that field trip?” Tony snapped. “Oscorp is fucking shady! I wouldn’t trust Osborne near my son with a twelve foot pole! And now, because of your actions, my son is lying in a hospital bed!”

“Tony, I couldn’t have possible predicted that something like this could happen--”

“But I could!” Tony yelled. “That’s why I wouldn’t have let him go on that trip!”

“Tony, I’m so sorry. You don’t think I’m not beating myself up over this? I am!” Steve cried. 

“Good!” Tony said icily. “It was so fucking stupid of you to do something like this! What were you thinking?!”

“I just wanted to fix the relationship between me and my son!” Steve cried. “I just want to be his Poppa again!” 

“Well thanks to your actions, you almost lost the chance for him to have a Poppa period. He could’ve died Rogers. Do you get that? Radiation poisoning? That shit kills people!” Tony snarled. “He could’ve died and I...I..” Tony choked on a sob, his breath hitching in the back of his throat at the thought of his son dying. 

“Tony,” Steve whispered softly. “I am so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Tony brushed a strand of sweaty hair that had fallen into Peter’s face, away. 

“Yeah, well it did."

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.

.

XX  
x

_Tony smiled at Peter’s sleeping form. The nightlight showed a constellation spinning on the ceiling. His baby had turned nine years old today. He was all tuckered out from a huge party with his Uncle Rhodey and Uncle Bruce. He had a blast and passed out around nine o’clock and Tony took him to his room,and tucked him in._

“Ti amo Peter, finche il sole arde, ti amero.”

.

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.

XX  
x

Peter woke up slowly. 

He came into awareness in stages. He was first aware of the temperature, it was cold, but he was hot. Did he fall asleep with the extra heavy comforters again? He then became aware of a hand holding his, and a weight pressing down on his stomach. He then became aware of a beeping, steady, like the thrum of a heartbeat machine. 

Wait…

The heartbeat monitor began to beep faster as Peter began to panic. His eyes snapped open and Peter could tell he wasn’t at home. He was lying in a hospital bed, and a quick glance down showed his dad asleep on his stomach. 

When the heartbeat monitor started to change, Tony woke up, he snapped his head up to see Peter’s eyes open and aware and starting to freak out. “Hey, hey, hey,” Tony said quickly, putting his hands on Peter’s shoulders and gently pushing him back down against the bed. “It’s okay. You’re fine. It’s okay.” 

“Dad?” Peter asked. “What’s...what’s going on? Why am I in a hospital?”

“You had some pretty bad radiation poisoning.” Tony said. Peter could tell that his dad was trying to brush it off, but he was clearly freaked out. “Came home and you were passed out on the floor, you had a seizure. You were delirious from the fever.” 

Peter shivered. “That’s…”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “What happened, Peter?”

“I..there was a spider,” Peter said softly, furrowing his eyebrows together. “There was a room of spiders...and one got out...it bit me.” Peter lifted his arm to show his dad the bite, it was small, almost unnoticeable, but still there. “I started to feel sick and the next thing I know I’m here. I don't remember going home, Dad.”

Tony swallowed. “Well that’s not surprising,” Tony said. “You had a fever of 105 Peter.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Seriously?” Tony nodded. “Dad, I’m so sorry...I never meant to...I just wanted to go on the field trip with my friends…”

“Peter. Why did you ask Steve to sign your permission slip?” Tony asked, choosing not to address what Peter has said previously. 

Peter had the decency to look ashamed. He looked down at his hands and fiddled with his hospital gown. “I...I knew you wouldn’t let me go. I know how much you hate Oscorp.”

“Petey, Bambino, look at me please.” Tony said. Peter lifted his gaze to meet his father’s. “I wouldn’t have let you gone because I don’t trust Oscorp. I don’t trust them to keep the most important thing in my life safe.”

Peter smiled bashfully and leaned into his father. Tony obliged, hugging Peter tightly to his chest. Tony pressed a kiss to the crown of his head and allowed himself to relax, knowing now that his baby was safe.

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XX  
x

Peter was released from the hospital a few hours later, only needing to do a couple of tests to make sure that there was no permanent damage from the high fever before he was cleared to go home. 

When he got home, he was surprised to see everyone waiting for him in the kitchen of the Avengers Suite. He wasn’t expecting his dad to let him stay down here with them. He knew how protective his dad was, especially when he’s been hurt. 

“Uncle Rhodey!” Peter cried, smiling brightly when he saw his uncle sitting at the table. “You’re here!”

“Of course, kiddo,” Uncle Rhodey smiled, standing up and pulling Peter into a hug. “You gave us all quite the scare there, Pete.” 

“‘M sorry,” Peter said shyly. “It was an accident. I promise.” Uncle Rhodey laughed and ruffled his hair. 

Steve stepped forward, a look of guilt resting on his face and Peter felt his spirits drop. Shoot. “Peter,” he said softly, opening his arms, waiting for Peter to see if he would accept the hug or not. Peter allowed Steve to wrap his arms around Peter, and Steve smiled gratefully. “I’m so so sorry. This is all my fault, I--”

“It’s okay Steve. I shouldn't have asked you to sign that permission slip. I should’ve known that my dad wouldn’t have said no for a good reason.” Peter said. Steve smiled and let go, and Peter retreated into his Dad’s side. 

“Okay, thanks for the support, but it’s kiddies bedtime.” Tony said, ignoring the glare thrown his way by said teen. “He needs lots of rest. Up to bed you go, Peter.”

“Good night, Dad.” Peter said. Tony smiled and kissed his son’s head. 

“Good night Pete.” Tony said. Peter looked around and waved at everyone else. 

“Good night guys,” he said, already walking towards the elevator that would take him up to his bedroom. 

“Good night Peter!” they called. Peter smiled and when the door closed, FRIDAY greeted him and sent him up to his bedroom. 

He put on an AC/DC shirt and pajama pants and when to brush his teeth when he noticed it. 

There were small indents on the insides of both of his wrists. He frowned, toothbrush in mouth, as he peered at it. Had that always been there? Peter wasn't sure. He didn’t remember that being there before. 

He pressed it and a white substance shot out, landing on the mirror in front of him. 

Peter’s jaw dropped, the toothbrush clattering on the ground. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”


	10. Chapter nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has a superhero awakening. Tony and Steve come to an agreement.

Peter winced when a spark hit his skin. He was trying to weld two pieces of his web stores (a mechanical wrist bracelet looking thing that caught the excess webs he shot out of his wrist and made it so he could use them later.) but he was tired from last nights patrol and kept falling asleep. 

Two weeks ago he had gotten sick. He’d been bitten by a radioactive spider and gained spider-like powers. He hadn’t meant to become a superhero behind his dad’s back (but, honestly, awesome!) it just kind of happened. 

A few days after he discovered his powers, he was walking home when he’d stopped by a convenience store and watched a man die in front of him. Peter knew that he could’ve saved him, but he was frozen. 

(It didn’t make the nightmares of his Uncle Ben dying come back. It was just a coincidence.)

Ever since that day, Peter was determined to help others. After all, if you had the powers he did, and you don't use them, the bad things that happen, they happen because of him. Of course, there was no way he’d tell his dad about his nightly activities. He’d be grounded for the rest of his life!

Sighing, he placed the web stores on his wrists and tested them out, humming in success when they worked properly. 

“Peter!” Peter jumped and quickly tugged his sleeves down to hide the web stores when his dad walked in. 

“Hey dad,” Peter said, sighing in relief when his dad didn’t appear to have noticed anything. “What’s up?”

“Not much. It’s Family Dinner Night. We’re having Spaghetti.” Tony said, reaching forward to ruffle his son’s hair. Peter scowled and pushed Tony’s hand away. “Aw, don’t be like that Bambi. Come on, if you hurry I’ll even let you pick out dessert!”

“Are you trying to bribe me with cake?” Peter asked, standing up and putting his materials away. 

“Is it working?” Tony asked. 

“Yes.” Peter pouted, and Tony chuckled. 

“Then yes,” he said, leading Peter out of the workshop. “I am.” Peter giggled at his father’s antics and started to ramble about a science project he was assigned. On the way to the elevator they were stopped, however, by Steve. 

“Steve?” Peter asked, looking at him in confusion. Why was he blocking the way?

“Peter, I… I wanted to talk to you,” Steve said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“You did?” Peter said, not noticing the way Tony’s eyes narrowed and his grip on Peter tightened. “About what?”

“I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the aquarium with me?” Steve asked. 

Tony grit his teeth. “No can do, Rogers,” he bit out. “He’s busy today.”

Steve looked towards his ex. Tony was acting even more hostile towards him than usual (of course the whole ‘Oscorp’ incident didn’t make things any easier between the two of them) Tony had his arm wrapped around Peter's shoulder possessively, and he was glaring daggers at Steve, practically daring him to disagree. 

And Steve would. 

“How about some time during the week?” Steve tried again, determined not to lose another chance to spend time with his son. “What about Saturday?”

“I--” whatever Peter was going to say was interrupted by Tony’s harsh laugh. 

“He’s not going anywhere with you,” he snapped. “Need I remind you what happened the last time you tried to be a parent?” 

Steve clenched his jaw. That was a low blow. As if Steve didn’t feel guilty enough about that. He never meant for any of that to happen. “I think Peter should be the one to decide. Don’t you?”

Peter slowly slid out of his Dad’s arms as he and Steve began to argue. It had been going on ever since Peter was released from the hospital. He hated it. The way they were competing with each other over who was the better (or worse) father. The way they were walking on eggshells around Peter, trying to prove the other one wrong. It was torture. 

Peter stepped onto the elevator and asked FRIDAY to take him up to his room. He placed his web stores in a box that he had hidden in the air duct above his bed. It also held his suit, and medical kit for whenever he was hurt during patrol. 

Peter then changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and his dad’s MIT sweater and put on his favorite pair of fuzzy Iron Man socks. Peter then padded into the kitchen where his Uncle Rhodey was busy making the spaghetti. He looked up when he heard Peter enter. 

“Hey kiddo,” he said. “Why the sad face?”

Peter sighed sadly and sat down on the counter, crossing his ankles. “Dad and Steve are fighting again.” 

Rhodey put the lid on the pot and dried his hands, turning to face his nephew. “They’ve been doing that a lot, huh?”

“Yeah,” Peter said softly. “Everytime they’re in the same room they find something to fight about.” 

“What was it this time?” Rhodey asked, leaning against the island. 

“Whether I should go to the aquarium with Steve or not.”

Rhodey hummed. “What do you want to do?” 

Peter jumped off the counter and pulled a glass from the cabinet over head. “I’m not sure,” Peter said, as he poured himself some water. He took a sip from his glass before he continued. “I mean, I know that if I say no, Steve will feel bad. But if I say yes, Dad will feel bad.”

“That is a hard choice,” Rhodey said, turning back to the food. He pulled out three plates and began to dish them out. “But you didn’t answer my question. What do you want to do, Peter? Do you want to go to the aquarium with Steve?”

“I...I think so,” Peter said, taking the plate that Uncle Rhodey handed to him. “But I don’t think I want to go with just him.” 

“That’s okay, Pete,” Rhodey said, placing his and Tony’s plates around the table. “Do you want Tony to go with you.” 

Peter grinned. “Yeah! Then it can be my family! And, Uncle Rhodey, you should come too! We can have a family day!” 

“Sounds great, squirt.” Rhodey chuckled. 

.

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XX  
x

_“I have...a son,” Tony admitted softly. Yinson smiled. _

_“Let’s get you back to him then, eh?”_

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XX  
x

“He wants to what?” Tony cried, looking at Rhodey with shock. After Peter had went up to bed he had approached Tony and asked him to go downstairs and meet with Steve. Tony begrudgingly agreed and they went down to the Avengers Suite Kitchen where Steve was waiting for them, hearing FRIDAY’s request beforehand. 

“He wants to go the aquarium with Steve,” Rhodey said again. Steve’s smile was almost blinding. Tony growled, his hands clenched into fists at his side. 

“Fine.” he spit. 

“Wait,” Rhodey called, stopping Tony from stomping away like he wanted to. 

“What?” 

“He wants you to come too.”

“Huh?” came both Steve and Tony’s response. Rhodey sighed. 

“Look, you two at each other’s throats? Not cool. Peter’s stressed out. He doesn’t like watching you guys fighting. He wants to have a family day at the aquarium. You, me, and Steve looking at the fish for some good old quality family time.” Rhodey said. “Please. Don’t deny him that.” 

Tony frowned. While he liked the idea of spending the day with his family at the aquarium, he wasn’t too sure how he felt about Rogers joining him. Steve, was feeling the exact same thing. He was ecstatic that his son was willing to spend time with him, (that’s all he wanted these days) but to also spend the day with Tony and his overprotective antics would be horrible. 

Tony then scowled as he processed the rest of what Rhodey said. “What do you mean? He’s stressed?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at his best friend skeptically. 

“What do you think happens to a kid who watches his parents fight like cats and dogs?” Rhodey asked. 

“_He_ is not Peter’s parent,” Tony snapped. 

“See! That! That right there is what I’m talking about!” Rhodey cried. “You guys fighting over who’s Peter’s dad is tearing him apart!” 

Tony grit his teeth, turning his head away form Rhodey’s disapproving glare. His son was unhappy with him? “Look. I’ll work on it, okay? But no promises. You know how hard it is to get along with Captain Righteous over there,” Tony said, thumbing over his shoulder where Steve stood, arms crossed. 

“Yeah well, I also know that you fighting is making Peter sad,” Rhodey said sharply. “If this keeps up, he’s not going to want to come home. And what does that remind you of?”

Tony flinched back, his eyes widening at what Rhodey was implying. It felt like a lifetime ago, Tony had drunkenly confessed to his roomate at MIT about how he preferred college because at least there he didn’t have to hear his parents fighting and his very existence ignored. 

“That was a low blow, Rhodes,” Tony whispered softly, in a tone that Steve had never heard before. 

Rhodey sighed and wrapped his friend in a hug, allowing remorse to flicker on his face. “I’m sorry, Tones,” he said. “I just...the last thing I want is Peter to feel how you felt as a kid. It would break my heart.”

“Mine too,” Tony admitted. 

“Then don’t be like Howard.” Rhodey said. Tony reared back, his face composing into that of rage and Rhodey knew instantly that he had gone too far. 

“Be like Howard? I am nothing like Howard,” Tony spit. “You know I tell Peter I love him every chance I get. I praise him for the smallest things. I tell him how proud of him I am whenever I can because I never want Peter to doubt how much I care for him! I am ten times the father Howard ever was! How dare you compare me to him!”

Rhodey pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I meant, Tones,” he said. “I just want you to understand. What you’re doing, this whole ‘dad-off’? It’s hurting Peter. So it needs to stop.” 

“Okay,” Tony said, looking back as Steve. “Let’s try to be civil. For Peter’s sake.” 

Steve raised and eyebrow before nodding, extending out his hand. Tony took it, albeit reluctantly, and shook it firmly. 

“For Peter’s sake.”

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XX  
x

“So, they’re back in the tower?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Let’s remind them who owns this city.”


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spiderman and a new villain...and Gwen Stacy? Peter, Steve and Tony go to the aquarium.

Peter swung through the city, laughing at the exhilaration. It felt like forever since he was last out, helping people and protecting the streets of New York. The night was relatively calm, only a couple of muggings and one attempted assault.

Peter came to a stop on a building a few blocks away from his high school, Midtown, and a few streets down, Ned’s house. Peter sighed and leaned back, his head resting against the aging bricks. 

His suit’s AI, (he borrowed the code Dad used to make JARVIS and FRIDAY and tweaked it a little. If Peter could show him the suit, he knew his Dad would be so proud) Karen was his only company for the night so he settled comfortably and began to ramble off things he needed to get done, asking Karen for her input. 

“...and then, what if I made it so that legs could like, pop out of my back? You know, like how spiders have eight legs? What if I made mechanical spider legs?” Peter asked. 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Peter,” Karen said. Peter hummed contently. He liked Karen. A lot. He gave her the voice of a very comforting female. It was so comforting, Peter imagined that if he knew his mother, she would sound like this. “However, I must ask. How would you make it aerodynamic?” 

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Peter said, scratching his chin. “I guess we’ll have to play around with it a little? What do you think, Karen?”

“I think it is a great idea Peter. I am always happy to spend time with you,” she said in her always bright voice. 

“Aww, Karen, you’re making me blush,” Peter said with a chuckle. “You’re just saying that because I’m your creator.” 

“Perhaps,” Karen allowed. “However we are also, as you’ve said, best friends. Best friends must spend time with each other to be best friends.”

“Like the patrols?” Peter asked. 

“Indeed, Peter,” Karen said. Peter laughed, shaking his head fondly at his AI. He was about to open his mouth to continue the conversation when a scream pierced through the quiet night. 

“Karen! Where is the scream coming from?” Peter cried, jumping up.

“Two blocks down,” Karen said. Peter jumped off the building, swinging down the streets in the direction of the scream. 

“Why is it always an alleyway?” Peter asked, as he lowered himself into a (surprise, surprise) dark alleyway, veering off from one of the main roads. He landed next to a dumpster and squinted his eyes, scanning the area for the owner of the scream. 

A girl is cowered against the brick walls, a man towering over her, four giant arms lifting him up off the ground. The girl was crying, pleading for the man to leave her alone. Peter grinned. 

“Hey!” he called, standing up and making the man with the arms turn to face him. “Didn’t your mama ever tell you it’s not nice to pick on girls?”

The man snarled, his lip turning up in a fierce sneer. “Spider-Man,” he said, his voice deep and scratchy. “I was hoping I’d see you.”

“Looking for me? I’m flattered,” Peter said boldly. “But I think you’re a little too old for me.”

“Hmpf,” the man huffed. “They said you were annoying. I didn’t realize they meant it so literally.” 

“Is there another way to mean it?” Peter asked. “And, I have to ask. What's with the arms? They’re kind of off-putting.” 

“Oh, these?” he said, gesturing the limbs protruding from his back. One of the arms raised, and waved at Peter, looking eerily similar to hands. “These just help me move around.”

“I can see that,” Peter quipped. “Perhaps they can help you move along, too.”

“Oh, and who’s going to make me? You?” he asked, tilting his head and smirking at Peter in a condescending way. “Why, you’re just a boy.” 

Peter blinked. “What? No I-- I’m an adult. You know, doing the grown up things. Taxes. Mortgage payments. The whole shebang.” 

“Run along, little boy,” the man barked. “Don’t get in my way.” 

“Sorry, dude,” Peter said. “No can do.” he aimed his wrist and out shot three webs that connected to his limbs, pulling them together and causing the man to topple. The man growled. 

“Fine. Have it your way.” he hissed. His one free arm snapped, the ends opening to reveal razor sharp points, and it cut through the webs holding the other legs together. He then shot one of the arms forward and something flew from the end at Peter’s head. 

Peter ducked, the metal object whizzing over his head. “Woah!” he cried. He shot another set of webs, this time aiming for the man’s back where the arms seemed to be coming from, but before it even reached its intended target, an arm reached down and grabbed the web. 

The man grinned and Peter groaned. “Oh shit.”

The arm tugged, sending Peter flying over his head and landing a few feet past him in a an especially hard (and empty) dumpster. Peter groaned and coughed, allowing air to enter his empty lungs before pulling himself up and jumping out of the dumpster. 

He sent two webs, landing on either side of his actual arms and tugged him, causing him to move forward--and how does that feel?--before his mechanical arms dug into the ground behind him. 

Peter grit his teeth at the force it took to keep him from being pulled forward again before he suddenly let go, the man falling backwards from the change in pressure. While the man was distracted, Peter shot another web at the man’s face, effectively blinding him. 

He then raced forward, kicking at the two supporting arms and making the man land heavily on his bottom. He then quickly tied him up in webs before ripping off the webs covering his face. The man snarled at Peter. 

“So, now that I’ve got you all tied up,” Peter said triumphantly. “What do you think you were doing to that poor girl? And where did you get those arms?”

The man sneered. “I had some unfinished business with the girl. It doesn’t concern you.” he said. Suddenly he slammed his face forward, breaking Peter’s nose on impact. He staggered back and the man grunted and the arms broke free of Peter’s webs. “The name’s Doctor Octopus. Stay out of my way, kid.” 

And with that the man--Doctor Octopus--was gone. 

Peter lifted his hands to his face and wince, taking a deep breath before setting the bone. He hissed in pain before turning around to face the girl Doctor Octopus had been harassing. 

She was leaned against the wall of the alley way, her blonde hair covering half of her face. Peter reached forward, gently brushing it out of the way to see if she was okay. Instead of being unconscious or bleeding, her blue eyes were wide and staring at Peter in shock. 

Peter jumped back. 

“Peter?” she asked softly. 

“Gwen?!”

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XX  
x

_“Tony...deep breaths. Come on, don’t do anything stupid.” Rhodey said softly, trying to stop the pacing man from doing something illegal. _

_Tony just growled in response. “A letter. A fucking letter is his way of apologizing for all this?! How dare he?!”_

_“I know, Tones, I know,” Rhodey babbled. He just wanted the trigger-happy man to sit down and calm down. _

_“I hate him so much,” he hissed, his voice full of venom. “He’s such an asshole! What kind of person just...just...UGH!” _

_“Hey, hey, hey,” Rhodey called, stopping Tony from pacing a hole into the floor. “Do you want to go blow some stuff up? That always makes you feel better.”_

_“I want to blow him up.” _

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XX  
x

“Wow!” Peter cried, staring at the exotic fish, his eyes wide with awe. Steve smiled at his son’s enthusiasm, Tony grinning too. 

The morning had started off rough, Tony grumbling the entire ride to the aquarium, being a little extra possessive of Peter, refusing to let him sit anywhere but next to him. (It wasn’t to piss off Steve. It wasn’t. He had to be civil.) Peter had been half asleep when Tony had gone in to wake him up, and when he did Peter was extra slow in getting up, wincing at every moment. 

Tony had asked him what was wrong but Peter just waved him off, assuring him that he was just sore from running around at school. Tony had let it slide, only sending a few side glances before shrugging it off. 

When they had finally gotten ready and eaten breakfast and gotten downstairs, Steve was just putting on his shoes. He had smiled brightly when Peter said he was ready to go. 

As loathe as he was to admit it, Tony knew that fighting with Steve was more harm than good--at least where Peter was involved--so he was going to do his best not to pick any fights with the captain. 

So when Steve had taken Peter’s hand in his and dragged him off to see the jellyfish, Tony had only pursed his lips and followed after them, reminding himself that he had to behave for Peter. And if Peter wanted to spend time with Steve (Steve who cheated on him. Steve who abandoned him. Steve who left his nine-month-old son.) then Tony would allow it. 

But if Steve made him cry again, Tony would not hesitate to remind him exactly where he stood in their--_his_\--family. 

“Look! Look Dad,” Peter called, tugging on Tony’s shirt. “Look at that one! Isn’t it pretty?” 

Tony smiled at his son’s excitement and looked in the direction he was pointing. The fish in question was actually quite pretty. It was an angel fish, (Tony thinks. But then again, he’s not a fish expert) and the mix of red and blue was beautiful. 

“It is, Bambi,” Tony said, ruffling Peter’s hair. “I like the colors.” 

“You only like the red,” Peter pointed out. Tony chuckled. 

“That is true,” Tony said. “Hey, look at that one! It’s your twin!”

“Really?” Peter cried, he spun his head before he scowled, looking at the pufferfish, whose body had been all puffed out. He turned to glare at Tony who chuckled at the fake animosity on his face. “Not cool dad.” 

“Hey Peter! Look at the octopuses!” Steve said, catching Peter’s attention once more. (No, Tony was certainly not jealous.) 

Peter spun around quickly, his eyes scanning the crowd for the mysterious man from last night but slumped when he realized Steve was talking about the actual octopuses. Like the animal. They were in the tank over. 

They were beautiful. There was three of them all together, swimming around the tank, seemingly oblivious to the crowd of people watching them. “Do you like octopuses, Steve?” Peter asked. 

“Yeah,” Steve replied bashfully. “I think they’re majestic.” 

“Aren’t they dangerous too?” Peter asked. Steve looked at him strangely, his eyes glazing over with confusion. 

“I suppose so,” he said in puzzlement, before turning back to face the octopus tank. “But then, perhaps that’s one of their beauties. They’re very fierce. And deadly.” 

Peter let his eyes flit over the octopuses in the tank. 

“Yeah,” he said, his hand automatically flitting over the bruises he acquired from last night on his stomach. “They are, aren’t they?”


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter, Ned and Gwen look into the new super villain. They don’t like what they find.

_“Peter?”_

_“Gwen?!”_

_“You’re Spider-Man?”_

_“I..wait! How did you know?” Peter asked, his hands coming up to check his mask. No, it was still on, so how did she know who he was? _

_“Peter, not offense, but your voice is very unique,” Gwen said, a grin stretching over her face. “There’s only one prepubescent boy I know whose voice is that pitchy.”_

_Peter scowled. “I’m fourteen,” he said defensibly. “And my voice is not pitchy.”_

_“Whatever you say,” she snorted. “Help me up?”_

_Peter quickly offered her his hand and she took it firmly. When she was finally standing up right she put her hands on her hips and glared. Peter was taken aback by the level of hostility in her gaze. “What the hell are you thinking, Peter?” she hissed._

_“I don’t...what?” Peter asked, confused at the direction the conversation had gone. _

_“Does anyone know about your...nightly activities?” she asked. “You could’ve been killed just now! For the smartest kid at our school, you sure are dumb sometimes.”_

_“Hey! I’m just trying to help! And I saved you, you should be thanking me, not criticising me!” Peter cried. Gwen sighed. _

_“You’re right. Thank you for saving me.”_

_“You’re welcome!”_

_“Now, what the hell are you thinking, Peter?” she continued. Peter groaned. “You could get seriously hurt! Does your dad know?”_

_“What? No! God, if my Dad found out he’d literally kill me! Then raise me from the dead only to kill me again! Then raise me again but this time, ground me for eternity!” Peter cried. _

_“So nobody knows about you?” she asked. _

_“Ned does…” and he did. And that was quite the conversation they had. Ned had ranted for hours, inspecting the indentations in his wrists (lovingly dubbed ‘web-holes’) and demanding as many answers at Peter could gie. When it was finally over he begged to become the Guy In The Chair and help Peter out with all his patrols. _

_“Great. That’s just great.” Gwen snapped. “So you’re telling me no responsible person knows you’re risking your life every night?”_

_“Ned’s responsible.” Peter said, feeling like he should at least try to defend his best friend. Gwen just raised an eyebrow silently and Peter sighed. “Fine. You know. That counts right?” _

_Gwen nodded. “I do,” she agreed. “And from now on, if you get hurt. Yo come to me. You have no self preservation, Peter. You’re going to get yourself killed one of these days.” _

_“Aww, I knew you cared.” Peter cooed. Gwen scoffed and slapped his arm lightly. _

_“Hardly. I’d just hate for you to die before you put Flash in his place.” _

_Peter laughed. “You and me both.” _

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XX  
x

“Peter? Hey, are you okay?” Ned called, snapping his fingers in front of Peter’s face. Peter blinked and looked back at Ned who was staring at him in concern. “You good, dude? You were staring for like, five minutes.”

“Sorry, guess I’m just thinking,” Peter said. Ned’s face lit up. 

“Like, thinking about Spider-Man or like thinking about your family?” Ned whispered. Peter sighed. 

“Gwen Stacy, actually.” Peter said. Ned’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. 

“Gwen? Like, your bio partner?” Ned asked. “How come?”

“She’s knows that I’m....you know.” Peter said. Ned’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“What? She does? How?” Ned demanded. 

“She was getting beat up by this guy, Doctor Octopus, and she recognized my voice.” Peter said. Ned just tilted his head. 

“Doctor Octopus? What kind of name is that?” he asked. Peter shrugged. 

“I don’t know, but he seemed super shady. Like, really shady.” Peter said. “He had these weird arm things and he told me to ‘stay out of his way’. It was really strange. And suspicious.” 

“Maybe he’s like, a super villain or something,” Ned suggested, taking a bite of his sandwich. Peter shrugged. “I mean, think about it. He has a weird name and creepy weapons and an ominous message. Classic super villain.” 

Peter paused. That would make a lot of sense, actually. The man, Doctor Octopus had seemed pretty professional. But then, how would a professional super villain get caught by a new vigilante? Unless…

Peter gasped. “He wanted to get caught!”

Ned jumped at Peter’s exclamation. “What?”

“The guy! Doctor Octopus! He wanted me to catch him!” Peter cried. “He said when I caught him, he said ‘I was hoping I’d see you’. He was looking for me!”

“Dude!”

“Dude!” 

“Uhm, not to interrupt the dude-fest, but you guys are yelling pretty loudly.” Gwen said, sitting down in front of Peter and Ned. Peter flushed in shame and looked down at the table. 

“Sorry,” he said. “We were just talking about Doctor Octopus.” 

Gwen stiffened. “That guy’s an asshole.” 

“Yeah, that reminds me,” Peter said. “I never got the chance to ask you. Why was Doctor Octopus bothering you yesterday?” 

“He was trying to get information,” Gwen huffed. “My dad’s the Chief of Police and all and I guess he thought I’d know whatever he wanted.”

“What did he want?” Peter asked, leaning closer to get the probably vital information to figuring out who Doctor Octopus was and what he wanted from Peter.

“He wanted information on the Avengers.”

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XX  
x 

“Karen? Can you replay the footage from last nights fight?” Peter asked, his mask on and sitting on the roof of Stark Tower. 

“Sure thing, Peter.” Karen said brightly. The fight played out over his visors and Peter memorized every detail of his fighting technique, and paused the replay when his view of Doctor Octopus’s face was in clear view. 

“Karen. Who is that?” he asked. 

“Running facial recognition,” Karen said. Peter watched as his face was scanned with several different possible matches before it found it. His name and records pulled up on his screen. “His name is Otto Octavius. He was a very intelligent scientist and engineer before he went missing two years ago.” 

Peter hummed. “What’s a guy like you doing as a super villain?” Peter asked himself. “Karen can you tell me if there were any incidents with him? You know, something that would turn him into an super villain?” 

“There was an accident at his work two years ago, just a few weeks before he was reported missing,” Karen said. “Radiation. Before the accident he was reported for being rash, hostile and violent towards his other coworkers.” 

“Okay, so he’s a mean guy. That doesn’t explain why he’s evil. Or why he wants to know about the Avengers.” Peter sighed. “I’ve never even heard of him before.”

“Would you like me to search for any crime reports over the last two years with descriptions similar to Dr. Octavius?” Karen asked. 

“Yes please.” Peter said. He waited as Karen flicked through all crime reports in New York. As he waited, he looked up at the stars. They were really pretty, and usually it was hard to see them, as the light pollution from the city was too great. But ever since he got his powers, and his vision improved, he’d been able to see them. They were mesmerizing. 

“Peter. I have found two reports fitting Dr. Octavius’s descriptions.” Karen said. Peter sat up. 

“Great! What are they?” Peter asked. 

“One break in at Oscorp and one attempted break in at Stark Industries.”


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is #concerned about Peter, and Peter is #stressed and everyone else is just along for the ride.

“Hey kiddo,” Tony called, smiling at the sight of Peter sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly. Tony lightly shook him awake, cooing internally at the sight of Peter yawning and sleepily rubbing his eyes as he awoke. “Come on kiddie. It’s time for dinner.” 

“Huh? Dad?” Peter asked, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “What’s for dinner?”

“I ordered pizza.” Tony said, walking into the kitchen with Peter trailing behind him. He ushered Peter into a chair and set a plate of cheese pizza in front of him. “I didn’t feel like cooking today.” 

“Thank god,” Peter mumbled. He wasn’t sure if he could take his father’s cooking experiments today. 

“I heard that.” Toy called from where he was standing, pouring him and Peter a cup of soda. He poured Dr. Pepper into Peter’s glass and Pepsi for his own (there have been several arguments over which soda is better. They have not come to an agreement. Tony doubts they ever will.) 

Peter grunted as he ate the pizza, still half asleep. 

“You know, Peter,” Tony said, setting Peter’s glass down in front of him before pulling out the chair next to Peter and sitting down. “You’ve been really tired lately. Are you feeling okay? Do you think you’re sick again?” 

Peter shook his head quickly. “No! No, I’m okay Padre. Promise. I’ve just been having trouble sleeping, is all.” 

“Really? Well, why didn’t you say so? What’s keeping you up?” Tony asked. 

_Muggers. Robbers. Thiefs. Murderers. Super Villains._

“Nightmares,” Peter said, taking another bite of his pizza. Tony paused mid chew and looked over at his son. Peter’s hair was frizzy (but that was probably from sleeping on the couch) and his face was pale. He had dark bags under his eyes and he looked like the walking dead. What could be causing such horrible nightmares? Was he having nightmares about Ben again? Maybe he should call a therapist. 

“What about, kiddo?” Tony asked, trying to sound casual. 

“I don’t know,” Peter felt horrible about lying. He never liked lying to his Dad, but this time it was necessary. “I can never remember them. Only waking up scared.”

Tony frowned. “What do you do when you wake up?” he asked. 

“I just stay awake.” Peter said. And technically, that wasn’t a lie. If he woke up in the middle of the night, he’d just put on his suit and go swinging around Queens and sometimes Brooklyn and help anyone in need. 

“Why don’t you ever wake me up?” Tony asked. Peter looked at Tony with a dry expression. “What?”

“Dad, I’m fourteen. I’m too old to wake you up because of nightmares.” Peter said. Tony huffed. 

“Peter you’re never too old to ask for help,” Tony said. “I have nightmares too, you know. Sometimes I dream that you’ve been hurt of god forbid, killed and I have to go to your room to make sure you’re okay.”

Suddenly, the pizza in his mouth felt dry and bitter and he couldn’t convince himself to swallow. 

“What I’m trying to say,” Tony continued. “Is that if you have another nightmare, you can always wake me up. I’m always here for you kid.” 

“Thanks Dad.” Peter whispered, his voice soft and remorseful. 

Tony, oblivious to Peter’s internal struggle, merely pulled Peter in for a hug and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Anytime bambino.”

The guilt threatened to swallow him whole.

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XX  
x

_“Iron Man! To your left!” Rogers voice called over the comms. Tony grit his teeth but followed the command. Damn. Working with your ex sucked way more than Tony thought it would. Tony wanted more than anything to be a bitch about the whole thing, but he knew better. There were lives at stake so he sucked it up. _

_When the battle was finally over and they were escorted to SHIELD for debrief, the tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. _

_Tony sat on the far end of the chair, the farthest one fro his ex husband and waited patiently for Fury to show up so he could get this over with and get home to his son. _

_As he waited he avoided eye contact with Steve, ignoring the way he stared holes into the side of his head. Finally Fury entered the room and began the debrief. Tony would be lying if he said he even tried to pay attention. All his thoughts lead back to his eight year old son. _

_He wanted to get home and see him. A couple minutes of listening to him ramble about his day today would ease Tony’s stress immediately. Helping him with his homework on the kitchen table while they ate orange slices would make going to work with his cheating bastard of an ex husband worth it. _

_Tony’s thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. “Stark!” Fury yelled. “Turn that thing off--”_

_Tony raised a hand to silence Fury as he pressed the answer button, ignoring the way the rest of the team spluttered their protests. It was May, Peter’s aunt. She was Mary, the woman who had been Steve and his’s surrogate mother’s sister. After the accident that killed Mary, Tony went to pay his condolences to her when they started to become friends. _

_She is now recognized as Peter’s Aunt May and babysits for Tony whenever he has to go in for work. _

_“Hey May, what’s up?” Tony said, ignoring Fury’s enraged mutterings. _

_“Tony? Oh thank god! You have to get here now! Oh god!” May’s frantic voice over the receiver scared him. His heart started racing as he shakily stood up. _

_“May? What is it? What’s wrong? Is Peter okay?” he cried. Steve’s head shot up at the mention of Peter and looked interested and scared at the same time. _

_“Oh god, Tony. He saw it! He held him as he...oh my god,” May sobbed. _

_“May, calm down. Tell me what happened?” Tony demanded. _

_“Peter and Ben went to the store together,” May wept. “Ben got shot. Peter saw the whole thing.” _

_“Oh my god.” Tony said in shocked horror. “Where are you? I’m coming right now.” _

_“We’re at the hospital. The paramedics said Peter’s in shock. He’s not saying anything. Tony, he hasn’t moved since we got here.” May gasped out, and Tony could tell she was holding back tears. “Ben’s in surgery right now, but they don’t think he’ll make it.” _

_“Oh god, May. I’m so sorry. I’m going right now. I’ll be at the hospital in fifteen minutes. Have the paramedics said anything else?” Tony said. Steve jerked at the mention of the hospital and paramedics. _

_“No. I don’t know anything. I’m trying to get Peter to warm up, he’s so cold, but...Tony he’s practically comatose.” and fuck, if that didn’t make his heart stutter. _

_“May you’re doing great. Just try and get him warm. I’ll be there soon,” Tony said. “Thank you so much. For everything.”_

_“He’s my nephew, Stark.” May had answered. “Just get here. He needs his daddy.” and with that the call ended and Tony started packing up all his things. _

_“I need to leave.” he said. “Peter needs me. We can finish the meeting some other time.” and he turned to leave the room but was stopped by a hand grabbing his arm. He turned back to see Rogers gripping his wrist like a lifeline. _

_“Is he okay? Peter? What’s wrong?” he asked. Tony yanked his arm free. _

_“He’s fine. He needs his dad right now, so if you’ll excuse me.” Tony had hissed before marching out of the room, the doors slamming closed. _

_(he did not take satisfaction in the crestfallen look on Steve’s face. He didn’t.)_

_(Because that would just be cruel.)_

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XX  
x

“This is him?” Gwen asked, looking at the photo with disgust. Peter nodded. Ned looked over Gwen’s shoulder, snatching the piece of paper that Peter had printed with all the information he could find on Dr. Octavius. 

“He doesn’t look like a super villain.” Ned said grumpily. Peter huffed. 

“What’s a super villain supposed to look like?” he asked. Ned shrugged. 

“I don’t know,” he said. “But this isn’t it. Are you sure it’s him?”

“Yeah. I had Karen run facial recognition on him.” Peter said. 

“Who’s Karen?” Gwen asked. “I didn’t know anyone else knew that you were Spider-Man.” 

“Oh, Karen’s the AI in my suit,” Peter explained. “She’s kind of like Tony Stark’s AIs.” (They have almost the exact same code and everything.) It was so awkward that his friends didn’t know who Peter’s dad was. He wanted to tell them, but Dad didn’t want anyone to know what his son looked like. 

The public knew practically nothing about Tony Stark’s son. Only that he had one with Captain America fourteen years ago. That’s it. Dad had been very adamant about keeping the media out of Peter’s life (Peter knew that his Dad’s childhood was all messed up because of the press and he didn’t want Peter to go through the same thing) so nobody would know anything about him until Peter turns eighteen. 

“You named your AI Karen?” Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yep,” Peter said, popping the ‘p’. 

“Like, Plankton’s wife from Spongebob?” she asked. Peter grinned. 

“You got that? Finally! Nobody else got that!” Peter exclaimed. Ned just huffed at the subtle dig at him. Peter just grinned and jokingly punched Ned’s shoulder. “I’m joking. You know I love you, man.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Ned griped, but Peter could tell it was all for show. “So, what do we know about this guy?”

“Not much. He went missing two years. And during those years he’s only been spotted twice doing something illegal.” Peter said, ticking off his fingers. “Breaking into Oscorp and trying to break into Stark Industries.”

“Those are two of the most well known and advanced companies in technology.” Gwen said. “I’m an intern at Oscorp. I could ask around, see if anyone knows about when he broke in.”

“The real question is, what does Otto Octavius want with those companies?” Ned asked. Peter scrunched his eyes in thought. 

What did those two companies have in common with Dr. Octavius? He was a scientist as well as an engineer, and Oscorp and SI are both companies that deal with those fields. 

“Wait, Peter, look at these dates.” Gwen said suddenly. Peter leaned down to look at the dates she was pointing at. 

It was dated about two weeks ago. By that time it was common knowledge that the Avengers lived in Stark Tower. The exact place that Dr. Octavius tried to break into. . “What?” Peter asked. 

“This is the date Dr. Octavius tried to break into Stark Tower,” Gwen said. “He was caught by security attempting to override the private elevator. He escaped before the could detain him.”

Peter gasped. “He was breaking into the Avenger’s Suite?”

“Looks like it,” Gwen nodded. “He’s after the Avengers, isn’t he?”

“Looks like it,” Ned agreed.

“But then, what does Oscorp have to do with that?”

Peter sighed, looking back down at the papers in her hand.

“That is the question, isn’t it?”

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XX  
x

“Have you found out who he is, yet? Is the data I’ve given you enough?”

“Yes sir.” 

“Finally. Well? Who is he?”

“Here sir.”

“Hmmm, interesting.”

“Sir?”

“Let’s go pay this Mr. Stark a visit, hm?”


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony have a long overdue talk and Doc Ock makes his move.

“You want to WHAT?!?!” Tony cried, looking at Peter in horror. Peter sighed. “I know you did not just ask me if we could invite the rogues to Family Movie Night!” 

“That’s not what I was asking!” Peter cried. 

“Good.” Tony huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Because the answer would’ve been no.” 

“I just...Natasha was talking about the Disney Marathons and I wanted to join,” Peter said, toeing the ground with his sock clad foot. “And...and I wanted you to come too,” he finished softly. Tony blinked. That wasn’t really was he expected. 

“Do you really want me to?” he asked, hating that he was going to do this. But then Peter’s head shot up and a smile that was so damn hopeful covered his face and Tony just couldn’t refuse.

He resigned himself to his fate.

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Tony smiled at his son’s sleeping face. He has fallen asleep after _Lilo and Stitch_ and Tony had covered him with a light blue fleece blanket. He had just gotten up to get some water when he was cornered by Rogers. 

He sneered over the glass at him as he blocked the exit. “Move, Rogers.” Tony said finally, after his patience disappeared. 

Steve, to his credit, did not flinch at the venom in Tony’s voice. He crossed his arms and stuck his chin out defiantly, as if he didn’t have an enraged midget on his hands. “No.”

Tony growled. “Move. Before I make you.”

“I just want to talk, Tony,” Steve said. “Please. There’s no need to be vicious.” 

Tony barked out a laugh. No need to be vicious? That’s rich. “We have nothing to talk about,” Tony said instead of doing what he really wanted to do; hit him. “So if you don’t mind…’

“Please,” Steve said softly. It was a one that made Tony stop, his posture relax slightly as he quickly did a once over of Steve. He was standing in the doorway, and while he seemed confident, he was hunched over and Tony could see traces of eye bags under his eyes. Tony sighed in defeat. 

“This better be good.” Tony relented. 

Steve smiled gratefully and motioned towards the chairs at the table. Tony reluctantly sat down, Steve following en suite. “Thank you,” Steve said. He clasped his hands together on the table and stared at them, as he tried to formulate his words. “I wanted to...make amends, I suppose.”

Tony bit back a reply. There was so many things Tony wanted to say to that. How he couldn’t make amends. How nothing he could do would ever make up for the pain he had caused. Steve had fucked up. That’s all there was to it. What was he doing, reopening old wounds? 

“What I did...there are no words, Tony,” Steve continued. “And I am so sorry for what happened between us.”

“Sorry that you did it, or sorry that you got caught?” Tony asked, an ounce of bitterness escaping into his words. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Steve said. Tony bristled. “I loved you, Tony. Never doubt that.”

_Too late._ Tony thought bitterly. “Then why did you do it?” Tony asked. 

“I never stopped loving Bucky.” Steve said, and Tony...Tony had known that. And Tony had long since gotten over Steve, so why did that make his heart squeeze painfully in his chest? “Even after I had gotten over his death. I still loved him. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have married you while I still harbored feelings for another man, but that man--at least during that time, I had thought--he was dead. And the love I felt for you, I thought that would overpower any feelings I had left,” Steve continued. Tony clenched his hands, refusing to allow his emotions play out on his face. “I never thought...I never imagined that Bucky was still alive. If I had…”

“You never would’ve married me.” Tony said softly, knowing. Resigned. 

That resignation, Steve thought, hurt Steve more than he thought it would. Though, he supposed he deserved it. “It was so unbelievably wrong of me. What I did,” Steve said. “And thinking about how badly I hurt you, it makes me feel sick. I never meant to hurt you Tony. Never.” 

“You did, though,” Tony said, his voice was soft. There was no anger or heat behind his words. They were simply facts. 

“I did.” Steve agreed. “And I hate myself for doing it. And I need you to know, that I am so sorry for hurting you.”

Tony nodded numbly. 

“I don’t...I can’t apologize for the affair,” Steve continued and Tony had not been expecting Steve to say that. “I am sorry for how it went down, but...I love Bucky. And I can’t apologize for loving someone. Even if it’s wrong.”

Tony sighed. Why did he think that having this talk would be a good idea? While Tony no longer loved Steve, hearing those words did not help his elf esteem at all. “What’s the point of this conversation, Rogers?” Tony asked. “Why are you tearing open old wounds. Is there a reason here?”

Steve took in a deep breath. “I never meant to leave Peter the way I did.” Steve said. _And there it was_, Tony thought. That was the point of the conversation. 

“You know, I may of had full custody of him but you had visitation rights,” Tony pointed out. “I thought you would at least come to see once. But you didn’t. You never came to see him. Not once.” 

Steve swallowed dryly, looking away from Tony’s cold stare. It wasn’t a glare and it wasn’t accusatory. It was just a cold indifference that made Steve uncomfortable. “I wanted to,” Steve admitted. “At first it was just too hard. The divorce was fresh and I had just lost my husband and my son in a matter of week.” 

“But then…?”

“I was a coward,” Steve said softly. “I couldn’t go back and face you. I couldn’t go back and watch him grow up without me.” 

“That’s a bullshit excuse!” Tony snapped. Steve looked up, shocked at Tony’s outburst. “I was pissed as hell at you after the divorce, Steve Rogers! But Peter needed both his Dad and his Poppa and you left him! We didn’t need to be married for you to be a part of his life. I’ve seen plenty of parents do it all the time!”

“I know that now,” Steve said. “Back then...I didn’t realize that back then. I...I made a mistake. And it cost me everything.” Steve chuckled bitterly, it was full of self-disgust. “I made a lot of mistakes back then that ruined my life.” 

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “You really did.” 

It was silent for a little while. Neither of them spoke, they just sat there, thinking over what had been said. 

“He’s an amazing kid,” Steve said finally. Tony looked up at him, narrowing his eyes to see if he was being sarcastic. When he found no sign of sass, Tony nodded. “You did a really good job of raising him.”

“Thank you.” Tony said quietly. “It wasn’t easy. But I had Rhodey and Pepper and Bruce. Well, _had_ Bruce.”

They both winced at that. No one actually knew where Bruce was at the moment. He had disappeared after the whole Ultron nightmare. 

“Tony, the point of this conversation,” Steve said after a terse second. “Is that I want to be in Peter’s life again.” Tony automatically tensed. Just because they had this enlightening conversation didn’t mean that Tony had forgiven him nor did it mean that he trusted him around Peter. “And I know that you have some opinions on this but I’m asking--no, I’m beggin--you, please. I may have no parental rights anymore, he might not have my name. Hell, he might not even have my DNA. But deep down he is still my son.”

Tony wanted to disagree. He wanted to fight and kick and scream until Steve took it back. Until Steve left the tower taking his traitorous backstabbing rogues out of his home and leave him and his son alone. But he knew he couldn’t. 

_("Your empathy Anthony," Jarvis said with a fond smile. "Never lose it. It will make you human.")_

“Peter will decide,” Tony said softly. “I don’t want you here. But not for the reason you think. It’s not because I’m bitter about our divorce. I may be an asshole, but I’m not that bad.” 

Steve chuckled but didn’t deny it. Bastard. 

“You left him, Steve,” Tony said, and Steve tensed. “You left him and you never acknowledged him. God Steve, you were like Howard. And I vowed to myself that I would never let my kid feel like that.”

“Tony I’m so s--”

“I don’t want you here because I don’t want Peter to get attached only for something to happen and you leave him again,” Tony said. “I never want to have to pick up my _bambino’s_ pieces. Never.”

“Tony I swear to you, I will never do anything to hurt Peter. Never again.” Steve vowed. Tony smiled sadly.

“You can make that promise, Rogers,” Tony said. “Because there will always be something that hurts him. What I’m saying? If he decides to let you stay in his life, you don’t leave him again.”

“I won’t, Tony,” Steve says, and there’s so much conviction in his eyes, Tony’s eyes water. 

“Good. Because if you do, I will never forgive you.” 

Steve nods and Tony stands up, grateful that the horrible, emotional, tortuous conversation is over. He’s just on his way to the living room to take Peter up to bed when the wall explodes and the world goes black. 

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XX  
x

_“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you Man and Husband.”_

_Tony turned and smiled, pressing a chaste kiss to his new husband’s lips. _

_“I love you, Steven Grant Stark-Rogers.” _

_Steve grinned. “And I, You, Anthony Edward Stark-Rogers.” _

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XX  
x

When Tony came to, his head was ringing. He blinked a few times until his vision came back into focus. When it did, Tony’s heart started to race. He didn’t know where he was, but he knew that he’d been kidnapped. 

He turned his head and saw Steve and the rest of the rogues tied up, but conscious, in the corner. He turned his head to the right and what he saw made his blood freeze. There lay Peter, tied up like the rest of the rogues, his eyes full of hate as he glared up at their captor. 

“Hey!” Tony yelled, his anger overtaking everything as the man stepped closer to his son. “Who the fuck are you?”

The man smirked. “Oh, Peter hasn’t told you? That’s hilarious.” 

Tony scrunched his face up and looked at Peter who had his face masked, the only give away to his emotions was the slight trembling of his hands. (and, christ, this was one of the things Tony never wanted Peter to go through) “Told? Told me what?” Tony asked, deciding the best way to keep Peter safe was to keep their captor distracted and talking. 

“I wonder, Peter,” the man continued, as if Tony hadn’t spoken. “If they know anything at all?”

Peter stayed silent. The man clicked his tongue and walked up to where Peter was laying and grabbed him, tugging him by the hair to meet his face. Tony growled as his newly found hate for this man rose. “What are you doing?!” Steve cried. 

“I think it’s time you and I had a talk,” the man said. “Don’t you agree, Peter?”


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doc Ock’s true intentions are revealed.

“Stay the hell away from my son!” Tony yelled, struggling against his bonds. The man just smirked at Tony and pulled Peter to his feet, moving him roughly into a chair in the center of the gross room they were imprisoned in. 

“Now then, Peter? You know who I am, don’t you?” the man asked. Peter scowled, his face contorting into an angry snarl. 

“Dr. Otto Octavius,” he replied (and what the fuck? Why did his baby know who this was? What was going on?!) “Otherwise known as Doctor Octopus.” 

The man--Doctor Octopus--(and really? What a stupid name) smiled smugly. “Aw, it’s good to see you’re as smart as they say you are,” Dr. Octavius said, patting Peter’s cheek condescendingly. Tony grit his teeth as rage washed over him. How dare he? “Let’s see how smart you really are. Tell me, Peter. Do you know why you’re here?”

“No.” Peter said, his eyes flicking over to where his Dad and the rogues (his family?) was tied up. The guilt filled him. This was all his fault. 

“Hm, that’s disappointing.” Dr, Octavius sighed sadly. “Would you like to take a guess?”

“You’re mad that I rescued Gwen Stacy?” Peter asked, smiling smugly when Dr. Octavius scowled in annoyance. 

“No,” Dr. Octavius said. “Although, that was very irritating of you.” 

Peter shrugged. “I try.” 

“You are here because you are mine.” Dr. Octavius said. Peter’s eyes widened in shock and disgust while Tony began to fight against his ropes harder. 

“Um. No thanks. That’s kind of gross. You’re way too old for me.” Peter said. Dr. Octavius shook his head. 

“Not in a romantic way,” Dr. Octavius said. “You’re my experiment. And you’re what I call a success.” 

Peter let out a puff of air. “What?” 

“Oh come on, Peter,” Dr. Octavius sighed. “I know you searched me. I know you found out which two places I broke into the past two years.” 

“Stark Industries,” Peter whispered. 

“That’s right.” Dr. Octavius said, smiling as the realization dawned in Peter’s eyes.

“You were never there for the Avengers, were you?” Peter asked. Said team strained harder, trying to break free of the ropes while still hanging off of every word said in the otherwise silent room. 

“Nope.”

“You were after me the whole time?”

“Yep.” 

“Why?” Tony cried. “Why were you after Peter?”

“Where’s the second place I went, Peter?” Dr. Octavius continued, ignoring Tony’s desperate cries.

“Oscorp.” Peter said. And..._oh shit_.

Dr. Octavius was smiling smugly now as Peter’s entire world imploded with the information that all made sense now. “And tell me, Peter. What happened at Oscorp?”

“I was bitten,” Peter whispered, mostly to himself. The Avengers were all staring at Peter and Dr. Octavius, trying to understand. Natasha gasped as she suddenly understood. “I got radiation poisoning from a spider…” 

“And then what happened to you?” Dr. Octavius said, grinning madly as he leaned against his giant arms. 

“Peter? What does he mean? Did something happen to you?” Tony asked, fear making his heart do impossible skips.

Peter closed his eyes, refusing to look at his father who was no doubt terrified. 

“I mutated.” Peter answered softly. 

Tony sucked in a sharp breath at what had just come out of his son’s mouth. His baby mutated? Peter mutated and Tony hadn’t even know! Oh god. No wonder Doctor Octopus was obsessed with Peter. If what he’s saying is true, then the mad scientist over there had intentionally experimented on his son!

“I have to say, Peter,” Dr. Octavius said. “I was quite surprised you survived. You were the only one of my subjects who did. All the others dies during the exposure. But you...no, you survived. You proved my experiment a success.” 

“Let us go,” Peter said. “You figured it out! I’m your successful experiment! That means you can let us go now!” 

“But see, that’s just it,” Dr. Octavius said. “I haven’t. Why was it you who survived? Why did none of the others? I need to know.”

“You will not perform any more fucking experiments on my kid!” Tony yelled. “I’ll fucking kill you! You stay the fuck away from him!”

“My, what a colorful vocabulary your father has, Peter,” Dr. Octavius said. “I wonder. If I cut out his tongue, will he still say such vulgar things?” 

“NO! No please! Don’t hurt him, please!” Peter cried. Dr, Octavius smirked. 

“I won’t,” Dr. Octavius said. “So long as you allow me to continue my experiments on you.”

“NO! DON’T YOU DARE PETER STARK!” Tony screamed. “YOU STAY AWAY FROM KID YOU _CAZZO PAZZO_!!!” 

Dr. Octavius growled and threw one of his metal arms towards Tony and a sharp metal dagger flew from the end of the limb and embedded itself in Tony’s shoulder. Peter cried when Tony let out a choked scream of pain. 

“Stop! Stop! Stop it please!” Peter begged. “Please don’t hurt him! Please!” 

Dr. Octavius smiled at Peter, his mouth showing his crooked teeth. He leaned forward and Peter flinched back, his spidey-senses screaming at him to get as far away from him as possible. 

“May I continue?” Dr. Octavius asked, that bastard. He already knew what Peter’s answer would be. 

A tear slid down Peter’s face. 

“Yes.”


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Doc Ock’s plan is revealed, but Tony has a plan of his own.

“NOOOO!” Tony screamed, thrashing around as best he could, what with a knife stuck in his shoulder. “Stay away from him! Peter! Peter baby what are you doing?!”

“You have to help my dad first,” Peter said. “He’ll lose a lot of blood. Please, can you just...patch him up?”

“That’s not really my forte,” Dr. Octavis said. 

“Then let me do it. Please? I swear you can do your weird experiment things,” Peter promised. “Just let me patch up my dad.” 

Dr. Octavius smiled. “As a sign of my trust in you, I will allow you to help your father,” he said, one of his limbs extending downward and cutting through his ropes. Peter winced and rubbed the sores on his wrists before racing over to where his father was sitting. “Do not make me regret this Peter. There are worse things than a knife to the shoulder.” 

And with that last threat, Dr, Octavius left the room. (Probably to get whatever mad scientist materials he needed to perform his experiments.)

“Peter! What are you doing? Run!” Tony cried, flabbergasted when his son began to patch up hi shoulder. 

“I can’t,” Peter said. “He’ll hurt you.” 

“He’s going to hurt you!” Tony hissed. 

“I’ll heal,” Peter said. He was suddenly very interested in the bleeding wound on Tony’s right shoulder. “Dad, I swear...I was going to tell you about...the mutation. I was. I just…” 

“Peter, _Bambino_, It’s okay,” Tony said. “When we get out of here we can talk about it.” 

“_Papa_,” Peter said sadly. Tony didn’t like that. Not one bit. 

“Nope. Uh-uh.” Tony hissed. “You will not use that tone with me, young man. We’re going to get out of here, and that’s final.”

“Dad, the last time I fought this guy, I ended up with a bruised torso, a broken nose and a slight concussion,” Peter said. “And I had the upper hand! I can’t beat him alone!”

Tony smiled. “You don’t have to. I have a plan.” 

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XX  
x

_“I’m just...I’m worried about him,” Tony confessed, looking back at where Peter sat on the floor drawing a picture. He was silent but his eyes kept drooping as his body swayed from side to side as he fought off sleep. “He’s not sleeping.” _

_Linda, the child psychiatrist he had called just sighed, holding her hands on her front. “He’s been traumatized,” she said. “A death in a family can be very hard on children, however witnessing a death can be very traumatic. Peter watched as his Uncle was shot and bled out in his arms. That can be very damaging to anyone’s psyche, let alone a child's.” _

_Tony just sighed, running his hands through his hair, a nervous tick he had gotten after the divorce. “He hasn’t slept for a full night in weeks. He gets three hours tops, then he wakes up screaming and crawls in bed with me where he just stares at the ceiling until morning. He can’t go on like this.”_

_Linda nodded sympathetically. “He may need hospitalization,” she said softly. “I’m going to prescribe you small doses of sleeping medication. If he doesn’t start to sleep at least five hours a night, come see me.”_

_Tony nodded. He expected that after the second all nighter in a row. His son needed sleep, but he couldn’t fall asleep without having nightmares. _

_“Okay,” he said. “Thank you for your help, Linda. I really appreciate it.”_

_Linda nodded. “I really hope he gets better soon. Your son is such a bright kid.” _

_Tony looked back to where his son sat. He had finished his drawing of the fern that sat on the window sill and was now grinning sleepily at his finished work._

_“Yeah, he really is.”_

.

.

.

.

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XX  
x

“Ah Peter,” Dr, Octavius said with a hideous smile. “I see that you’ve taken my advice. The smart choice.” 

Peter sat in the same chair as before, his eyes narrowed in an enraged glare at the doctor, but it didn’t matter. The only way to keep his family safe was to do as the crazy doctor said. The man walked in closer, wheeling in a tray full of (oh god was that a Stryker Saw?!) tools and set them close to where Peter was sitting, his fists clenched in anticipation. 

“Didn’t really have much a choice,” Peter snapped. 

“Hm, I suppose you did not,” Dr. Octavius said. “Now. Shall we get started?” 

“I just have one question, Dr, Octavius.” Peter said. Dr. Octavius stopped what he was doing (and thank god because that was most definitely a Stryker Saw) and looked at Peter expectantly. “Why?”

“Why what, Peter?”

“Why are you doing this? The experiments? What’s the point?” Peter asked. 

Dr. Octavius leaned back slightly, looking at Peter with narrowed eyes. “Peter, do you know what happened to me two years ago?” 

Peter blinked. “Uh...there was an accident?”

“Yes, there was,” Dr. Octavius said. “A radiation leak in one of the labs caused an explosion. I was caught in the crossfire. Before the accident I had been working on a pair of mechanical arms, as you can see--” he waved the robot limbs that were holding himself up at Peter. “--and the accident bonded me to them.”

“Wait, those things are apart of you?!” 

He scowled and Peter snapped his jaw shut. “They were. I had them removed. What I meant was I can control them. Telepathically.” he said. “The accident gave me abilities, you see. I’m more powerful than I ever was. More powerful than anyone ever was.” 

“What part of this story makes you want to experiment on innocent people?” Peter asked, earning himself a slap to the face. Tony snarled. 

“No, you don’t see,” Dr. Octavius whined. “I’m trying to make us better. Make humans better. I have evolved. I am superior. Shouldn’t everyone else evolve too?”

“You're doing this to further the human race?” Peter asked, incredulous. “Well, they say the path to hell is paved with good intentions.” 

“Oh Peter, don’t you see?” Dr. Octavius said, leaning forward so that his face was square with Peter’s. “You and I? We’re the same.” 

“I am nothing like you!” Peter hissed. 

“You’ll see. Soon you’ll see.” Dr. Octavius said. Peter grimaced as Dr. Octavius turned around to fiddle with instruments. “When I’m finished finding out what caused you, I think I’ll set it out on the city.”

“Why would you do that?” Peter asked, stalling for more time. “If you do that then will be nothing special about you.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” Dr. Octavius said, turning around with a glint in his eyes. “Because it will be me who has changed everyone. They’ll all owe me. I’ll rule over them all.” 

“So that’s what all this is about?” Peter asked, raising an eyebrow. “You want to rule over the whole tristate area? I hate to break it to you, but I like fedoras so we might have a problem.” 

Dr. Octavius chuckled. “Your comments are quite amusing.” he said. 

Peter shrugged. “I try.” 

Dr. Octavius’s hand suddenly shot out, slapping Peter hard across the face. Peter cried out and spit out blood that collected on the inside of his mouth. “Unfortunately, I don’t have much a humor,” he continued, sharpening a knife while maintaining direct eye contact with Peter. Peter shivered. “So if you’d like to keep that tongue of yours, I’d suggest shutting up.” 

“Such a shame I never take advice. Just ask my dad.” Peter said. Dr. Octavius snarled and punched Peter in the face again, Peter yelped when his nose crunched. Damn, that was the second time he had broken Peter’s nose. 

“PETER!” Tony cried. The rage was threatening to swallow Tony whole. This man who was hurting his baby in front of him. Tony wanted to escape and beat him up, leave him begging and crying, because how dare he? How dare he hurt him?

Peter grimaced as the blood flowed freely down his chin, staining his shirt red. “That wasn’t very nice,” he said, raising his hand to staunch the flow. He’d set his nose again but the pain was too great this time around. 

“I’m not a very nice person,” Dr. Octavius hummed. “I may give gifts, but they all come with a price.” 

“So mutating me? That was a gift of yours?” Peter askled. 

“Well of course it was,” Dr. Octavius said. “After all, if it weren’t for me, Queens wouldn’t have their very own web-slinging vigilante.” 

Tony looked up, his eyes narrowing at what he had just said. Web-slinging vigilante? Like that new guy Spider-Man? The man who was helping out all the lesser crimes? What did he have to do with Peter?

Dr. Octavius noticed Tony’s confused look and laughed. “Oh Peter, they don’t know anything, do they?” he asked. Peter just glared at him, but internally he was freaking out. He didn't want his dad to find out this way. “They don’t know about your ‘nightly activities’?”

“Peter? What’s he talking about, Bambi?” Tony asked, deep down knowing exactly what Dr. Octavius was getting at but he wanted to deny it. He didn’t want it to be true.

(Because his baby couldn't be a superhero. The one thing he never wanted for his bright-eyed, sweet son.) 

“I’m sorry,” Peter said softly, looking at his dad with so much remorse it actually hurt. Tony shook his head.

“No.” he said, refusing to accept it. 

“I was going to tell you, I--”

“No! No, tell me he’s lying. Tell me you’re not--” Tony stopped himself, looking at Peter with pleading eyes. Peter just lowered his head, his eyes boring holes into the floor with shame. “Fuck!”

The other Avengers were just staring at Peter with mixed emotions of horror. Peter was a vigilante? He was the crazy guy who stopped a bus with his bare hands? Peter?

Dr. Octavius clapped gleefully. “Oh that was just perfect,” he said, pretending to wipe a tear away. “That deserved an Oscar.”

“Screw you!” Peter snapped, and if they weren’t still in shock from the revelation that Peter was Spider-Man, they would’ve been shocked at the venom in Peter’s voice. 

“You appear to especially violent,” Dr. Octavius said. “Perhaps if I cut off one of your father’s toes you will be more pliant? After all, he doesn’t need all ten of them…” 

Dr. Octavius moved to where Tony was situated but what stopped by Peter’s yells. “Stop! Fine. I’ll behave! Just...leave my dad alone.” 

Dr. Octavius smiled, turning his back towards Tony, clapping his hands together. “Good. Then, let’s get started, shall we?” 

He moved forward to stab what looked like a giant needle full of god-knows-what into Peter’s arm when Tony called out in calm rage. 

“Step away from my son.”

And that’s when all hell broke loose.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Showdown with Doc Ock!

Tony broke through the ropes that Peter had loosened and ran towards him. While Dr. Octavius was distracted by Tony, Peter shot four webs at him, one for each arm, and pulled with all of his strength. Dr. Octavius soared overhead and crashed into the wall on the other side of the room. 

The other Avengers got up from their faked positions and rushed him, throwing punches to the downed doctor. 

For a second it looked like they were winning, and then the arms burst through the webs. The ends of the limbs opened up again, showcasing their razor sharp points and Dr. Octavius lunged for them. 

Tony was fighting with pure rage. This man had experimented on his son, kidnapped him and broke his nose. He was going to give him hell. He punched the doctor in the face and Dr. Octavius reared back and slammed his head into Tony’s. 

As Tony staggered back, a mechanical arm tripped him, causing him to topple over. The mechanical arm lunged forward, the razor sharp points aiming for his guts. A web shot forward, covering the points and yanked backwards, causing the arm to miss it’s point, and smash into the concrete by Tony’s head. 

“Dad!” Peter cried, jumping forward and wrestling the arm to the ground. “Are you okay?!” 

“Am I okay?” Tony cried, incredulous. “Are you okay? Peter you need to run! Now!” 

“What? No! I’m not leaving you!” Peter cried. His momentary lapse in attention cause the arm he was straddling bucked up, causing Peter to fly backward, landing with a loud thud into the wall. Peter coughed, and Peter knew that at least one of his ribs was broken. 

“Peter!” Tony cried. He jumped up, running over to where his son was now slumped on the ground, but another arm (God, Tony really hated these fucking things) blocked his path. Tony growled and punched the arm but it just punched back. 

Peter, who had finally gotten up, was now swinging around the rafters and shooting webs at the openings of all the limbs, trying to make them less deadly. Dr. Octavius growled, and shot one of his arms up, slapping Peter hard and causing him to falter mid swing. He crashed to the floor and groaned, his already bruised ribs making it painful to breathe. 

“Peter!” Steve cried. He rolled out of the way of one of the arms and raced to where he lay. He lifted him up and his heart clenched at the sight of his son’s bruised and bloodied face. 

“Steve? I’m okay, I’m fine,” Peter said, standing up and wincing when one his ribs pressed against his lungs. 

“Peter you need to get out of here,” Steve said, shoving Peter out of the way when an arm crashing into his side. “Peter, go!”

“No! I’m not leaving you guys here!” Peter cried stubbornly. “This is my fault. I have to fix this!” 

He shot a web at Dr. Octavius’s face, but he was ready for it, catching the web with one of his arms and ripping it up. Peter frowned and ran forward, ducking and jumping over every arm that shot into his path. 

He shot webs at Dr. Octavius’s feet, sticking them to the ground, and causing his arms to jump up, no longer supporting the man’s weight. Peter then punched him straight in the face and ducked out of the way as Dr. Octavis flailed, trying to free himself from the floor. 

He then shot webs at all of the arms, effectively pinning them to the walls. 

He was trapped. 

Peter slumped, and the rest of the Avengers crowded around him in a protective manner. “There. It’s over, Doctor.” Peter aid finally, in between pants. “You’re done.” 

Dr. Octavius just laughed, his head tilting back and showing the blood on his teeth. “If you think this is over, then your more of a fool than I took you for.”

“We caught you. You’re done. You’re going to go to prison where you’ll rot for the rest of your days.” Tony snarled. “Like you deserve.”

“It’s funny that you think you’ve won,” he said, cackling crazily. 

“Look around!” Tony cried. “You’ve lost! You got no more ace to play! You’re all alone and nobody is coming to help you out.” 

Dr. Octavius just grinned. “Who says I’m alone?”

Before Tony could say anything a loud whizzing sound burst through the room. It was like the world was in slow motion. He saw the bullet enter the room, it’s target: Peter. 

He screamed, his hands reaching forward to grab him, to move him, but he was too far away. He wouldn’t reach him time. He wasn’t going to get there!

A loud thud and a scream echoed against the walls. 

.

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XX  
x

_“Papa?” Peter asked, crawling into his father’s bed. Tony smiled and lifted Peter up, his Avenger’s onsie was soft and fuzzy and the bear Peter carried (Mr. Bear) was smushed up against his cheek. _

_“Hey_ bambino_,” Tony whispered, cuddling his four year old son close to his chest. “What’s up?”_

_“Nothing. I just wanted to be with you,” Peter said, furrowing into Tony’s chest. Tony chuckled, ruffling his son’s hair fondly. _

_“Aww, I’m honored.” Tony said. “I love you, Petey._ Finche il sole brucia_.” _

_“What does that mean?” Peter asked, looking up at Tony with his brown doe-eyes. _

_“It means ‘As Long As The Sun Burns,” Tony said. “It’s something your nonna said to me when I was your age.” _

_“Why?” Peter asked. Tony just smiled fondly at his curiosity. _

_“Because it mean that she would love me for forever.” Tony said. _

_“Forever? Always and always?” Peter asked, the paw of his bear somehow ending up in his mouth. Tony lightly tugged it out, and petted his hair. Peter had a problem with gnawing on his toys. _

_“Forever and always,” Tony promised. “That’s how long I’ll love you.” _

.

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XX  
x

“PETER!” Tony screamed, the world going back into regular time. 

Steve coughed, his hand flying up to his shoulder where the bullet was lodged into his skin. Tony let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and raced forward, tugging Peter to his chest and scanning the room for the unknown sniper. 

Whoever it was, they were gone now. 

He turned back to Dr. Octavius but he was gone too. 

“DAMN IT!” he screamed. 

“Tony,” Natasha called. “We need to go.” She was looking at Steve in concern, her eyes tight with worry. Tony nodded and kept his arm wrapped securely around Peter’s shoulders. He was trembling, and he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from the wound on Steve’s shoulder. 

“Come on, _bambino_,” Tony whispered, pulling him lightly out of the warehouse. “We got to go.” 

“S-Steve,” Peter whispered, tears falling from his eyes. “I...I’m…”

“Hey, none of that, champ,” Steve said, smiling through the pain in his shoulder. “That was not your fault. I did this to keep you safe. And I’d do it a hundred times over.” 

Peter just sobbed, wrapping his arms around himself tightly, ignoring the pressing pain in his chest for favor of crying. He couldn’t take the guilt that was trying to suffocate him. Steve had gotten hurt and it was all his fault. Why did he have to go after his family? Why couldn’t he have just come after Peter? 

Tony frowned at his son’s reaction and held him closer. Peter gasped from the pain at the sudden embrace. His ribs were definitely broken. “Peter?” Tony asked, his eyes scanning Peter for any other injuries. “Are you hurt?”

“I think my ribs might be broken,” Peter gasped out. “It’s okay. Just help Steve!” 

Natasha nodded and started to dig out the bullet (Peter cringed against the pained grunts that escaped him) and Clint left to get help. Or call SHIELD. Whichever came first, Peter guessed. 

Hile all of this happened, Tony had scooped Peter up into his arms and rocked him back and forth, humming _Stella Stellina_, a lullaby he had always sung to him when he was afraid. The adrenaline crash from escaping as well as the trauma of watching another person he cared about get shot mixed with the comfort and safety of his father’s arms caused Peter to pass out, the last thing he heard before he fell asleep was his father’s whispered words. 

“_Ora sei sicuro, piccolo. Ti amo, finche il sole brucia Peter_.”


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the fight. The rift between Tony and the rogues slowly starts to heal… very slowly. 
> 
> (So slowly that it probably won't even happen in this book)

Steve woke up slowly, his eyes flitting around the medical room quickly before he realized what had happened. 

“You’re awake.” a voice said. Steve started and turned to look at Tony who was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he watched him. 

“Yeah,” Steve said, his voice hoarse from sleep. “What… What happened, exactly?”

“You passed out after Natasha got the bullet out,” Tony said. “You lost too much blood. SHIELD showed up and got us out of there. They’re currently looking for Dr. Octavius and the sniper.” 

Steve nodded. “That’s good. And Peter? Is he okay?”

A foreign expression flitted over Tony’s face before he masked it, his eyes returning to the cold, disinterested emotion he showed before. “He’s okay. Two broken ribs, three cracked, a broken nose and a minor concussion. Thank god he has...healing powers. He’s okay….” Tony hesitated. “Thanks to you.” 

Steve looked up at him, surprised by the confession. Tony sighed and looked down. “The bullet trajectory...if you hadn’t stepped in front of it...it would’ve killed Peter.” Tony said softly, his hands clenching at the thought. Steve sucked in a sharp breath. “I wasn’t fast enough...I couldn’t get to him in time...but you could.”

“Tony…” Steve said softly, because he could recognize the guilt and self-loathing in his tone. Tony just shook his head. 

“If you hadn’t stepped in front of that bullet, Steve,” Tony continued. “I would be burying my--” Tony took in a trembling breath and looked up at Steve, his eyes wet and filled with tears, a few escaping down his bruised face. “_We_ would be burying _our_ son right now.” 

Steve gasped at Tony’s words, his eyes widening at the message implied in Tony’s words. He let his hand reach out for Tony and Tony stepped forward, taking his hand in his and held on tightly, looking at Steve with so much emotion that Steve felt like he’d been sucker punched. 

“I haven’t forgiven you for what you’ve done, yet...and to be honest I don't think I ever will,” he said, and Steve felt his heart drop slightly, but Tony continued. “But what you did... I think that maybe...maybe you can be trusted to keep him safe. And if Peter wants it," Tony grit his teeth and looked away for a second before his eyes flashed back to Steve's. "If Peter wants it...I'm okay with you being more active in his life.”

Steve’s hopeful gasp was the only sound in the room, save for the beeping on the monitors. He stared at Tony,. His eyes wide as he searched for any lies in Tony's words but there was none. It wasn't much, but it was a start. And Steve would gladly take it.

“Thank you.” he whispered, his voice cracking from the amount of gratitude. 

Tony shifted, the emotions in the room making hi feel as though he was going to get hives, but he needed to do this. "If you're going to do this, you're goong to need to commit to Peter. Don't leave him hanging, got it?"

"I'll hang out with him as often as he'll let me." Steve said with conviction. Tony cringed. 

"Great." he said before clapping his hands together. "Well this has been great, let's never do this again."

Just as Tony was leaving, Steve called out to him. "Thank you, Tony, really."

Tony merely smiled. “Thank you Steve. For saving him.”

Steve nodded. “Always.” 

And that was a promise.

.

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XX  
x

“So. Spider-Man.” Tony said, sitting across from the table as Peter squirmed in his chair nervously. It had been two days since the whole ‘Dr. Octavius kidnapping incident’ and Tony finally felt like he could approach Peter about it. “Tell me about it.” 

Peter opened his mouth. And did. 

He explained everything, starting with the field trip to Oscorp, how he had gotten distracted and went into a room full of a spiders. How one had gotten loose and bit him. How he started to feel weird and came home. How, after he had gotten home from the hospital he found the indents in his wrists (and his Dad had bugged [hah! Pun intended] out at that, and demanded to see them. He poked and prodded them before he sat back, satisfied for the time being and looked at him expectantly to finish the story) how he discovered he could walk on walls (that...that was an interesting story) How he became Spider-Man after he saw that man get shot. (Tony had pulled Peter in for a hug at that part of the story and Peter knew it was because of his Uncle Ben) How he met Dr. Octavius and discussing it with his friends (“Ned Knew?!” “Yeah.” “Ned?!” “What?” “Just...Ned?!”) and how he found out he’d broken into Oscorp and tried to break in only a few days after he became Spider-Man. 

Throughout the entire time Tony’s expressions changed quickly. At one moment it was pure rage while another it was terror. The grip he had on Peter’s hand tightened and tightened and when Peter had finally finished Tony looked like he was about to burst into tears. 

“Oh _bambino_,” he whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I wanted to,” Peter said softly. “I really did. But I knew that if I told you, you’d never let me go out as Spider-Man again.” 

“That’s because you could get hurt. Someone could shoot you or...or...kidnap you, Like Doc Oc...or you could get killed, Peter! Killed! You’re all I have left, _bambino_, my universe! I would never forgive myself if something happened to you!” Tony cried. “You have no idea how that feels--”

“Yes I do!” Peter cried, suddenly angry. How dare he say that he didn’t know what that felt like? Peter experienced that more times than he can count! “How do you think I feel every time you go out as Iron Man? Huh?”

Tony was floored, staring at Peter, his mouth wide open in shock. Peter continued, ignoring Tony’s stunned silence. 

“Dad, I might be your son...but you’re my dad. And if something happened to you, I’d be all alone.” Peter whispered, the fight leaving him as quickly as it came. “I’m terrified every time the alert goes off. But I never say anything because I know that you have to go. Because if you don’t--if I make you stay because I’m too selfish to let you risk your life--then people die because of me.” 

“Peter,” Tony said, reaching forward to smooth out his hair in a comforting manner. “That’s not...that’s not the same thing. Bambi, you’re my everything. I can’t live without you. God, you saw what I was like before you came into my life!”

Peter giggled. He was right about that. Peter had seen videos and read all sorts of things about how messed up his Dad had been before Peter was born. He acted crazy. But when Peter was born he turned his life around. Now everyone respects Tony Stark, and there isn’t a single person out there who thinks he’s a bad parent.

“You were kind of a train wreck.” Peter agreed, smiling cheekily.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to agree with me!” Tony said, but there was no heat behind his words. He softened his face and looked at Peter in all seriousness. “Peter I love you, so much. Like, it hurts, that’s how much I love you. ‘As Long As The Sun Burns’, right? But if there’s no universe, the sun will continue to burn...but what’s the point? It’s not giving anything life because the universe is gone.”

Tony reached forward and pulled Peter close, reveling in his son’s weight with his. He could’ve lost his son two days ago. He could’ve lost his son at anytime for the past month and he never would’ve known. He would’ve just been sitting in bed, not knowing that his entire life had just been stolen from him. 

“Bambi, you are my universe. So please, please don’t take yourself away from me,” Tony finished. “You’re my son. I’ll love you, for as long as the sun burns. Forever and always.” 

“Dad, I have to do this. I have to be Spider-Man. I can’t just stop.” Peter said softly. 

Tony sighed. “I know.” 

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XX  
x

_“Daddy! Daddy! Look, look!” Peter cried, running up to tug on Tony’s pant legs and pointed in the direction of where Bruce sat glumly on the floor. Tony took one look at burst out laughing. _

_It appeared that Peter had gotten into his aunt’s makeup last time he was over and somehow managed to convince Bruce to let him try it out. He looked utterly ridiculous. Peter didn't really know which makeup did what so it was all over the place. _

_He had ruby red lipstick shakily drawn over his eyelids and blue eyeshadow as his blush. His mascara was smudged all across his eyes making him look like a sad raccoon and his lips were a hideous shade of pink. _

_“Shut up, Tony,” Bruce pouted. _

_“Isn’t he pretty, daddy?” Peter asked. Tony nodded, mirroring Bruce’s sullen expression in a mocking way. _

_“Uh huh! He's the prettiest one of them all!” Tony said, trying to hold back his laughter. Bruce grinned evilly and Tony did not like that grin at all. Not one single bit. _

_“Hey Peter,” Bruce said mischievously. “Don’t you think your daddy needs a makeover too?” _

_Oh shit. _

_“Yeah! Yeah! Daddy let me do your face? Please, please? I promise I’ll make you even prettier than Uncle Bruce!” Peter said, sticking out his bottom lip and looking at him pleadingly. _

_Damn, why would Tony not say no to Peter’s adorable puppy face?_

_“Fine, Tony relented, sitting down on the ground. Peter squealed and ran to find the makeup materials he wanted. Tony just glared at Bruce who was smiling smugly. “If you take photos I will ruin you.”_

_“Wouldn't dream of it,” Bruce said coyly. _

_“Yeah, yeah. Fuck you too Banner.” _

.

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XX  
x

“So. The accords have been fully written up. They just need to be signed.” Fury said. He looked around the room and his scowl softened slightly. “It looks like the dynamic has been fixed. That’s good.” 

“Yeah, I guess getting kidnapped really brings us all together,” Tony said sarcastically. “And you would know, wouldn't you? That is what pirates do, right? Or is it the whole steal, murder and ‘yo ho’ thing? I always forget.” 

Fury merely glared. “How’s the compound, Stark?” 

“Hmm, it’s almost finished,” Tony said and the rogue Avengers frowned, looking down slightly. They had hoped that they could stay with Tony and Peter, but it looked like they were still being kicked out. 

“Great. They’ll be out of your hair soon,” Fury said. 

“Actually. I think they should stay with me, in Stark Tower.” Tony said. The rogue Avengers looked up in surprise, Fury’s eyebrow raised. 

“You and the other Avengers have made up?” he asked. Tony shook his head. 

“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “I’m still pissed as hell at them. But Peter likes them so I guess they should stay. Besides, if we’re going to be working together we should probably learn how to get along.” 

“Well what the hell have you been doing the past two months while you were supposed to be getting along?!” Fury cried. 

“Orgies?” 

“Get the fuck out of my office.” Fury snarled. Tony just chuckled and threw a wink at him. 

“Don’t get mad at me because you don’t have the right kind of booty.” Tony quipped. 

“OUT!”

Tony let out a loose chuckle at Fury's furious grumbling. Tony left, a surprised group of rogues following behind him. 

"Tony--" Clint started. "Why would you--"

"Don't read too much into it," Tony said, uncomfortable with the looks he was receiving. (Part of him was definitely starting to regret allowing them to stay) "Peter seems to like having you around. I'm just watching out for my kids."

"Does this mean you--"

"If you ask me if this means I forgive you I just might slap you," Tony threatened. Sam closed him mouth awkwardly. "Look. don't go picking through this. It doesn't mean anything. So just shut up and take the free rooms. Or don't. I don't care."

The rogues had enough sense to keep their mouths shut as Tony stalked out the door.

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XX  
x

“So they’re staying?” Peter asked, looking at his father with shock and a slight hint of hope. Tony nodded. 

“Yeah. They’re staying.”

“Cool,” Peter said. “Guess we’re going to have a lot of movie marathon nights.” 

Tony smiled. “Guess so.”


	19. Epilogue

“YOU CHEATING BASTARD!” Tony roared. Steve just hissed. “HOW FUCKING DARE YOU?! AGAIN?!”

“FUCK YOU TONY, I’M NOT CHEATING!” Steve yelled. 

“YES YOU ARE! THAT’S IT WE’RE DONE! I’M TAKING PETER WITH ME!” Tony screamed. 

“Um...I think we should stop playing now,” Peter said softly, pulling the monopoly board away from the two fighting men. 

“No! Tell him, Bambi! He landed on my square and I called him out on it! He owes me fifty fucking bucks!” Tony cried. 

“Peter rolled the dice before you said anything! You lost your chance to bill me!” Steve yelled. 

“That’s not how this fucking works!” Tony hissed. “You’re just a sore fucking loser cause now you’re bankrupt!” 

“I think we should play something else,” Peter suggested, starting to clean up the board game. “What if we played Sorry? Actually, that’s a bad idea...it’s too competitive.” 

“Give me my goddamn money, Steven!” Tony yelled, lunging forward to rip the paper money out of Steve’s hands.

“We could play Candy Land? Actually, that wouldn’t work either. Last time we played Dad broke one of the pieces.” Peter hummed. 

“What the fuck? Ow! Don’t fucking bite me, Jesus, what are you? A cat?” Steve cried, shaking his hand to dislodge Tony who was now trying to pry the money from Steve’s unyielding grip. 

“What if we played a card game? Like Uno? Oh god, who am I kidding, that shit will start WWIII.” Peter huffed. 

“I thought Captain America was supposed to be the embodiment of the law?” Tony sneered. “You just fucking broke the law! I should have you arrested!” 

“Coming from you? That’s fucking rich. You cheated the last time we played battleship!” Steve yelled, finally managing to get Tony off his arm. 

“We could play Yahtzee. Everyone likes Yahtzee!” Peter suggested. “And it’s kind of hard to cheat at that!”

“That wasn’t cheating! I was using my resources! There’s a difference!” Tony defended. 

“Or maybe we could play Rummikub. That’s always fun.” 

“You were using a camera to see where I put all my boats! That’s literally the only way to cheat at that game!” Steve cried. 

“Oh, and I found Clue when I was going through all those boxes downstairs,” Peter continued, placing the last of the monopoly pieces (save for the money gripped in Steve’s hand) in the box. “Who doesn’t like a good old fashioned murder mystery?”

“Oh and you’re such an expert on cheating? That’s right, you are! Cause it takes one to know one!” Tony yelled. “Now give me my fucking money, Steve and we can finish this game civilly.”

“Oh! I know! Let’s play chutes and ladders! I love that game!” Peter said happily. 

“Fine! If you won’t give it to me, then I’ll just take it!” was the last thing Tony said before he launched himself onto Steve, and ripped the money out of his hands. Steve made a grab for them but by that time it was too late. Tony sat back down triumphantly. He went to place it with the rest of his money but was surprised to see that the game was all cleaned up. He looked at Peter. “Where’s the game?” 

“We’re playing chutes and ladders now,” Peter said. “You can’t cheat at that.” 

“I’m sure Steve would find a way,” Tony grumbled. Steve just glared. 

“This is why we can’t have nice things,” Peter snapped, taking the money out of Toy’s hand to show it was ripped in half. “I swear, sometimes it’s like you’re the children and I’m the adult.” 

Tony just laughed. “Yeah but you still love us,” he said, poking his son’s cheek playfully. 

Peter grinned. 

“Yeah, I do. I guess I’ll love you for as long as the sun burns. Hopefully you guys don’t act like this the whole time, or it might get a little hard.” 

Tony smiled cheekily. “No promises, squirt.”

.

.

.

.

.

XX  
x

“Sir. I’ve gotten rid of the SHIELD agents tailing us. What’s our next move? The plan failed.”

“No, the plan didn’t. Everything is going perfectly. It’s time to move to phase two.”

“Sir?” 

“I think it’s time we have a talk with Dr. Connors. Yes?”

“Right away sir.” 

“Watch out, Spider-Man. We’re not done yet.” 

THE END

….Or is it?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment and a kudos :)


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